Sex with a 16/17 Year Old
In Utah a person cannot have sexual intercourse with a 16 or 17 year old if that person is 10 or more years older than the 16 or 17 year old. Anyone 10 or more years older than a 16 or 17 year who has sexual intercourse, oral sex, any type of penetration with any object or part of the 16 or 17 year old’s body, or touches the 16 or 17 year old in any sexual manner can be charged and convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a form of statutory rape. This category of statutory rape can result in a third degree felony or a class A misdemeanor.
Be Careful! You can Literally Stumble into Statutory Rape in Utah
Often times people are taken in by the maturity of a young person who can easily pass as an adult. Be careful! Anyone who is 28 years or older needs to be cautious of the sexual partners he or she chooses. An individual who claims to be 18 years old and wants a relationship with a 29 year old may be posturing to be older than he or she actually is. If it turns out that the supposed 18 year old is actually only 17 you are in for a world of trouble even if the sexual relationship was completely consensual. And, it doesn’t matter if you were misled.
If convicted, you will face prison time as well as having to register as a sex offender, a taint which will stay with you the rest of your life. Further, you will have to face the negative stigma associated with being a “sex offender.” Don’t take any chances. Utah Defenders, Utah’s premier criminal defense attorneys, will take care of you.
Get Utah Defenders on Your Side
If you are being investigated for statutory rape/unlawful sexual conduct with a 16 or 17 year old, email or call our Salt Lake City criminal defense teams at 801.618.1334 for immediate defense. Utah Defenders will jump on your case immediately to make sure you have the protection you need to defend against the state’s allegations.
