Legal Question in Criminal Law in New Jersey

Re: dating a minor

The new Jersey criminal law requires at least a four (4) year gap between the ages of a minor under 18 and the adult who is above 18 for a dating relationship to exist. However, if the minor is employed by you, considers you her adult guardian, or you are in anyway in a position of power, leadership, (in loco parentis) over her, then she must be at least 18 to date the person. Getting the parents' permission does not make an exception to the law, in fact, the parents may also get in trouble if they allow it under the circumstances I just laid out. Bottom line, the age to consent to sexual intercourse in New Jersey is 16 (unless those circumstances I mentioned above apply-then she must be 18), if those don't apply to you, then you are OK, no matter what the parents may say.