Legal Question in Family Law in Wisconsin

I'm seventeen, not far from being eighteen. I've been friends with a guy who recently turned 21 for a few months now. We've talked quite a bit and hung out a few times, and now have talked about dating when I turn eighteen. My parents found this out and freaked when I was hanging out with him one night. They called the cops and told them he was harboring a run-away (I didn't run away, just went to hang out with him for an hour or so). My dad then told him, in the presence of a cop, that if he has any contact with me, my parents would call the cops on him and he'd go to jail. They didn't get a restraining order or anything, just a verbal warning.

So my questions are;

Can he actually get arrested just for talking to me? (texting/calling/facebook) He isn't breaking a law or anything and not causing harm to me. I don't drink, I'm not breaking curfew or anything like that. But if my parents called the cops, could something happen?

Also, I would like to hang out with him again, at Country USA or a park or something. Would this get him arrested if my parents found out? I'm assuming (correct me if I'm wrong) that the only way he could get in trouble legally is if they said he was harboring a run-away again. What would qualify as a runaway? If I was at Country USA, and they knew this, they couldn't call me in as one right?

I guess all in all I just want to know if I can talk to/see him and to what extent I can do that.

Thanks!


Asked on 6/07/10, 5:55 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Jeffrey Murrell Law Office of Jeffrey L. Murrell

What you've described here does not sound like anything that rises to the level of criminal conduct on his part for which he could be arrested or prosecuted. So my answer is "no." Now, if you two are having sexual relations of any sort (even touching certain anatomy over clothing), then that would constitute sexual assault of a child (you, while you're still only 17 years old), even if it is solely you doing the touching of him. So don't do any of that kind of stuff before you turn 18, and it should be fine (though your parents certainly wouldn't like it!). Good luck.

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Answered on 6/12/10, 8:59 am


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