A: 18 years old. This means sexual contact with a minor under the age of 18 is illegal in the state of California even if the minor says it is consensual.

A: The California statutory rape law is titled "Unlawful Sexual Intercourse" Section 261.5 California Penal code.

A: No. Sexual contact while under the age of 18 is not legal. Depending on the age of the parties involved and whether or not there are repeat violations involved, it would either go to juvenile court or, under certain situations a juvenile court judge may recommend the case be moved to adult court. If the violation is under 261.5, it is a misdemeanor offense.

A: No. It is not legal. Depending on the circumstances, a felony conviction under this violation may require mandatory sexual offender registration for life. Complete Section - California Penal Code Section 288a "Partial clip of the law" (b) ... any person who participates in an act of oral copulation with another person who is under 18 years of age shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison, or in a county jail for a period of not more than one year. 2) ... any person over the age of 21 years who participates in an act of oral copulation with another person who is under 16 years of age is guilty of a felony. (c) (1) Any person who participates in an act of oral copulation with another person who is under 14 years of age and more than 10 years younger than he or she shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years. In the case of a minor with another minor, the same laws apply; however, they are handled in a juvenile court setting unless a judge recommends adult court.

A: No. If convicted of violating 261.5 Unlawful Sexual Intercourse, misdemeanor or felony, you will not be required to register as a sexual offender in the state of California. If you move to another state jurisdiction, you may be required to register as a sex offender for this violation. Contact the chief of police in the city you want to reside to inquire as to the sex offender registration status of your California conviction.

A: Possibly. If the minor is under 16 years of age and the actor is over 21 years of age, this would be a felony and mandatory sex offender registration may be required persuant to California penal code 290.

A: Many professionals including medical staff, teachers, administrators, coaches, doctors etc... are mandated by law to report reasonable knowledge or suspicion of "Unlawful sexual intercourse" or any types of sexual or physical abuse. These laws are called "Mandatory Reporting Laws." Under the California Child Abuse and Neglect reporting act, many professionals must, by law, report suspected abuses and violations to law enforcement, or risk criminal prosecution for failure to report. These professionals include, but are not limited to, school teachers, public employees, medical or hospital staff, mental health professionals, clergy, and many more...(the list is substantial.)The purpose of these laws are to protect children from abuse and neglect. "Partial clip of the law" California Penal code 11165.1 As used in this article, "sexual abuse" means sexual assault or sexual exploitation as defined by the following: (a) "Sexual assault" means conduct in violation of one or more of the following sections: Section 261 (rape), subdivision (d) of

8. Q: Can anyone report statutory rape? Top of page

A: Yes, anyone can file a report. You can report any knowledge of Unlawful Sexual Contact with a minor to local Law Enforcement or to a District Attorney's office.

9. Q: How long can a person wait to report statutory rape? Top of page

A: The statute of limitations will depend on the seriousness of the violation. No matter what, all cases are treated individually and if someone has committed a crime against you, you should report it to authorities. It is up to a District attorney to determine the nature of the charges (if any) and how the statute of limitation laws apply to your case. Violation of Penal Code section 261.5(b) is a misdemeanor and has a one year statute of limitations.

A: Recognizing the high incidence of teenagers impregnated by adult males and the negative impact of these young, fatherless families on society, California initiated the Statutory Rape Vertical Prosecution Program in 1995. The program strengthened law enforcement's ability to prosecute adult men who have sex with teenage girls - minors, under the law. Providing for higher rates of conviction, the vertical prosecution program allows the same prosecutor to follow a specific case all the way through the judicial process. At the time of this initiative, the state of California had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation