Legal Question in Family Law in Texas
17 year old female dating a 15 year old boy
My daughter just broke the new to us that she is dating a sophmore in highschool boy. She is going to be a senior this year and she will be turning 18 on October. My husband and I just don't agree with this situation and warned her that she can get into a lot of trouble. Of course she does not believe us and I'm trying to find some information to back up our point. She has been a very responsible and could not have asked for a better daughter but, we believe it is our responsibility to let her know what is right and wrong.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: 17 year old female dating a 15 year old boy
Untol she turns 18 and engages in sexually intimate conduct (even if initiated by the sophomore), there is nothing illegal about the relationship. You would have to look up other articles on the situation.
Re: 17 year old female dating a 15 year old boy
It sounds as though you are asking the question from a criminal law standpoint, since you surmise that she could "get into a lot of trouble".
Since she is not more than 3 years older than this boy (Texas Penal Code section 21.11(b)(1), I don't see how there could be any criminal offense taking place just from dating or any other consensual activity resulting from dating. It's not just about her being 18 and him not yet being 17 (the age of consent). Afterall, you wouldn't want an 18 year old senior being punished for dating a 17 year old fellow classmate. For that reason, the legislature has created a 3 year buffer "zone" in which the age limits are irrelevant.
Now as for letting her know "right from wrong", that's an issue apart from the legal aspects of the case. For my part, however, as an attorney, I don't see anything illegal in her conduct or potential conduct.
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