Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida

If there is a 22 year old unmarried male living with a 16 year old unmarried female in a house that my name is on the deed to, do I have any legal responsibility for their actions?


Asked on 11/03/09, 9:42 am

2 Answers from Attorneys

Sarah Grosse Sarah Grosse, Esquire

It depends on what the issue is, and you have not clearly stated it.

If the issue is solely their ages, in FL, it is legal for a 16 or 17 year old to consent to sexual interaction with a person under the age of 24. The 16 year old could be a runaway, though, if she has left her parent's home before she is 18.

I can think of at least a dozen scenerios in which you could be caught in some kind of civil or criminal responsibility, but not solely under any facts you have stated here.

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Answered on 11/08/09, 10:01 am
Don Waggoner Don Waggoner Law, P.A.

16 is the age of consent in Florida, so long as the other person is under 24. So, no, absent other facts, you shouldn't have a problem. However, if you are the parent of the 16 y/o, I can see other scenarios where someone may try to accuse you of child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or other things.

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Answered on 11/08/09, 11:48 am


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