Legal Question in Sexual Harassment in Georgia

Re: Underage Sex

Statutory rape is a felony that carries up to 10 years. Consent or not knowing the minor's age is not a defense to statutory rape, because no specific intent is required to prove the crime. However, if the consensual sex was between 2 teenagers, it may be charged as a misdemeanor, which carries a sentence of up to 12 months, because of the so-called "Romeo and Juliet" law that was recently passed in the Georgia legislature.