Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in Pennsylvania

Re: Minors and Dateing

I'm not saying this is a good idea at all, but the rule can be summarized as follows:

In Pennsylvania, a person 18 years and over can completely escape criminal liability for consensual sex only if their partner is also 18 or over.

The age of consent in Pennsylvania is officially 16 years of age, but effectively 18 years of age, due to the interplay of various criminal statutes. A person who is 4 or more years older than a consenting partner who is less than 16 years of age can be charged with the following felony sex offenses: Statutory sexual assault {� 3122.1} (vaginal or anal intercourse), Aggravated indecent assault {� 3125} (penetration of the vagina or anus with any part of the perpetrator's body or an object), Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse {� 3123} (oral sex). A person 18 years or over, who engages in consensual sex with a person between the ages of 16 and 18, can be charged with Corruption of minors {� 6301}, which is a first degree misdemeanor.

There is no "4 year rule" for the charge of corruption of minors. Additionally, the offense of corruption of minors is nebulously defined, criminalizing any conduct committed by a person 18 years and upwards which tends to corrupt the morals of a person less than 18 years of age. Sex is generally considered to constitute an act which corrupts the morals of a minor.