Is it illegal in Missouri laws for a 16 year old to date a 19 year old?

Question

Because I've heard so much talk that if you are dating a minor, as long as you don't have sexual intercourse you are fine. But, I simply can't find the laws of Missouri anywhere online, and I want to know what the ACTUAL law is. help?

Because I've heard so much talk that if you are dating a minor, as long as you don't have sexual intercourse you are fine. But, I simply can't find the laws of Missouri anywhere online, and I want to know what the ACTUAL law is. he was a senior when i was a freshman, so it's not a big difference if we went to highschool together. help?

Answer 1

The legal age to consent to sex in Missouri is 17, that means you cannot have sex prior to that age without it possibly leading to trouble. As for dating or "hanging out," there are no laws dictating what ages can do that, HOWEVER, be aware that all too often one thing leads to another and the possibility for trouble is high.

Answer 2

Here are the Mo. sex offenses:
http://www.moga.mo.gov/STATUTES/C566.HTM

("Dating" is almost never regulated, and it would probably be unconstitutional in violation of a person's right of free association to do so... Not to say that there aren't some crazy laws on the books, but...)
Also note the definitions of "deviate sexual intercourse" or "sexual conduct" -- so that some types of touching and other things you might not consider sex are illegal (it appears that the magic number in Missouri is 17 if the guy is over 21... so it may not even apply to you...
check out http://www.coolnurse.com or http://www.ageofconsent.com

Answer 3

My general information:
Legally, of course as you probably know, a 17 year old is legal only if his/her partner is no older than 20 (20 and younger). Simply dating is allowed.
But, I'll let you official mull through Missouri state's online revisions. I don't know if it will get you anywhere.
http://www.moga.mo.gov/STATUTES/C566.HTM

Answer 4

It's not illegal, but your parents, I think, can get a restraining order on the older one if they want. And it is illegal to 'rape' if the minor turns it in. 'Rape' meaning whatever the minor wants to call 'rape'.

Answer 5

Section 566.010 of the Revised Missouri Statutes (RSMO) defines sex offenses:

(1) "Deviate sexual intercourse" means any act involving the genitals of one person and the mouth, tongue, or anus of another person or a sexual act involving the penetration, however slight, of the male or female sex organ or the anus by a finger, instrument or object done for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of any person;

(2) "Sexual conduct", means sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse or sexual contact;

(3) "Sexual contact" means any touching of another person with the genitals or any touching of the genitals or anus of another person, or the breast of a female person, for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire of any person;

(4) "Sexual intercourse" means any penetration, however slight, of the female sex organ by the male sex organ, whether or not an emission results.

RSMO 566.020 defines mistake as to capacity or age.
1. Whenever in this chapter the criminality of conduct depends upon a victim's being incapacitated, no crime is committed if the actor reasonably believed that the victim was not incapacitated and reasonably believed that the victim consented to the act. The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of belief as to capacity and consent.

2. Whenever in this chapter the criminality of conduct depends upon a child being thirteen years of age or younger, it is no defense that the defendant believed the child to be older.

3. Whenever in this chapter the criminality of conduct depends upon a child being under seventeen years of age, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant reasonably believed that the child was seventeen years of age or older.

RSMO 566.023 It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecutions under sections 566.032, 566.034, 566.040, 566.062, 566.064, ... 566.070, 566.090 that the defendant was married to the victim at the time of the offense.

RSMO 566.030 defines Forcible Rape.
1. A person commits the crime of forcible rape if he has sexual intercourse with another person by the use of forcible compulsion.

2. Forcible rape or an attempt to commit forcible rape is a felony for which the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than five years, unless in the course thereof the actor inflicts serious physical injury or displays a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument in a threatening manner or subjects the victim to sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with more than one person in which case the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than ten years.

RSMO 566.032 defines First Degree Statutory Rape.
1. A person commits the crime of statutory rape in the first degree if he has sexual intercourse with another person who is less than fourteen years old.

2. Statutory rape in the first degree is a felony for which the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than five years, unless in the course thereof the actor inflicts serious physical injury on any person, displays a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument in a threatening manner, subjects the victim to sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with more than one person, or the victim is less than twelve years of age in which case the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than ten years.

RSMO 566.034 defines Second Degree Statutory Rape.
1. A person commits the crime of statutory rape in the second degree if being twenty-one years of age or older, he has sexual intercourse with another person who is less than seventeen years of age.

2. Statutory rape in the second degree is a class C felony.

RSMO 566.040 defines First Degree Sexual Assault.
1. A person commits the crime of sexual assault if he has sexual intercourse with another person knowing that he does so without that person's consent.

2. Sexual assault is a class C felony.

RSMO 566.060 defines Forcible Sodomy.
1. A person commits the crime of forcible sodomy if he has deviate sexual intercourse with another person by the use of forcible compulsion.

2. Forcible sodomy or an attempt to commit forcible sodomy is a felony for which the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than five years, unless in the course thereof the actor inflicts serious physical injury or displays a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument in a threatening manner or subjects the victim to sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with more than one person, in which case the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than ten years.

RSMO 566.062 defines Statutory Sodomy.
1. A person commits the crime of statutory sodomy in the first degree if he has deviate sexual intercourse with another person who is less than fourteen years old.

2. Statutory sodomy in the first degree is a felony for which the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than five years, unless in the course thereof the actor inflicts serious physical injury on any person, displays a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument in a threatening manner, subjects the victim to sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with more than one person, or the victim is less than twelve years of age in which case the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than ten years.

RSMO 566.064 defines Second Degree Statutory Sodomy.
1. A person commits the crime of statutory sodomy in the second degree if being 21 years of age or older, he has deviate sexual intercourse with another person who is less than seventeen years of age.

2. Statutory sodomy in the second degree is a class C felony.

RSMO 566.070 defines Deviate Sexual Assault.
1. A person commits the crime of deviate sexual assault if he has deviate sexual intercourse with another person knowing that he does so without that person's consent.

2. Deviate sexual assault is a Class C felony.

RSMO 566.090 defines First Degree Sexual Misconduct.
1. A person commits the crime of sexual misconduct in the first degree if he purposely subjects another person to sexual contact or engages in conduct which would constitute sexual contact except that the touching occurs through the clothing without that person's consent.

2. Sexual misconduct in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor unless the actor has previously been convicted of an offense under this chapter or unless in the course thereof the actor displays a deadly weapon in a threatening manner or the offense is committed as a part of a ritual or ceremony, in which case it is a class D felony.

RSMO 566.093 defines Second Degree Sexual Misconduct.
1. A person commits the crime of sexual misconduct in the second degree if he:

(1) Exposes his genitals under circumstances in which he knows that his conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm; or

(2) Has sexual contact in the presence of a third person or persons under circumstances in which he knows that such conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm.

2. Sexual misconduct in the second degree is a class B misdemeanor unless the actor has previously been convicted of an offense under this chapter in which case it is a class A misdemeanor.

RSMO 566.095 defines Third Degree Sexual Misconduct.
1. A person commits the crime of sexual misconduct in the third degree if he solicits or requests another person to engage in sexual conduct under circumstances in which he knows that his requests or solicitation is likely to cause affront or alarm.

2 Sexual misconduct in the third degree is a class C misdemeanor.

RSMO 566.100 defines Sexual Abuse.
1. A person commits the crime of sexual abuse if he subjects another person to sexual contact by the use of forcible compulsion.

2. Sexual abuse is a class C felony unless in the course thereof the actor inflicts serious physical injury or displays a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument in a threatening manner or subjects the victim to sexual contact with more than one person or the victim is less than fourteen years of age, in which case the crime is a class B felony.

PUNISHMENT
Many of the sex offense laws specifically detail the punishment for a particular offense. Some of the sex offense statutes only state the general class of felony or misdemeanor applicable to an offense. If a statute does not specifically detail punishment, the following laws explain the authorized sentences for each general class of felony and misdemeanor.

RSMO 558.011
(1) Class A felony: a term of years not less than ten years and not to exceed thirty years, or life imprisonment.

(2) Class B felony: a term of years not less than five years and not to exceed fifteen years.

(3) Class C felony: a term of years not to exceed seven years.

(4) Class D felony: a term of years not to exceed five years.

(5) Class A misdemeanor: a term not to exceed one year.

(6) Class B misdemeanor: a term not to exceed six months.

(7) Class C misdemeanor: a term not to exceed fifteen days.