Whether you’re in love or the sex was consensual, it won’t matter if one of the partners was under the age of 17 and belonging to Colorado. Sexual assault laws in Colorado explicitly say that it is illegal to have sex with an individual under the age of 17, even if the victim willingly engaged in sex.
There are only two exceptions to this law, sexual partners are either very close in age, or they are married. If not, the person above the age of 17 is usually left open to the charges of statutory rape.
How Do You Protect Your Children from Sexual Assault?
If you have a teen who is sexually active, you need to talk to them about the legal risks they could get involved in if they go for underage sex with a person above the age of 17. Whether they like it or not, statutory rape is still rape and if your child ends up in this situation, they could face charges and penalties that can ruin their life.
Understanding the Age of Consent in Colorado
The Colorado age of concent is 17 years old. This is the minimum age set by the law in which an individual is legally old enough to consent for sexual activity. Individuals who are under the age of 17 are not considered by the law to be able to consent for sexual activity.
Therefore, if your teen is having sex with anyone under the age of 17, the sex is usually considered non-consensual. If the child is caught, the law is considered broken and it could result in prosecution of statutory rape.
Potential Penalties of Statutory Rape in Colorado
If the law of age of consent is broken, the charges are usually statutory rape. And upon conviction, the penalties are usually assessed depending on the age of the victim and the defendant. Here are some of the most common charges passed by the court.
If the individual is at least four years older engaging in the activity with a minor who is under the age 15, it is considered class 4 felony in Colorado. This is punishable by 2-6 years in prison and will also require sex offender registration, which can become a permanent record.
Individuals who are ten years older and have sex with a minor who is in the age bracket of 15-17 years old are committing a class 1 misdemeanor. This is punishable by 6-18 months in jail with possible sex offender registration.
If the individual resorted to sexual touching but no penetration took place with a minor of 14 years of age or younger when the individual is at least four years older, it is a charged sexual assault. This is classified as a class 4 felony and is punishable by 2-6 years in jail with a mandatory sex offender registration.
Love could be blind to age, but you need to talk to your teen and tell them about the risks of sexual activity with a minor, or else they could end up in jail with their lives destroyed.
