Harboring my runaway long-distance girlfriend?

[Unregistered]

I'm in a long distance relationship, my girlfriend (16) who lives in Florida is abused verbally and physically by her mom. Her step father is away for work a lot and her bio father and step mother are just as, if not more abusive towards her if she were to live there. The police have taken he mother in for being abusive before but she hasn't been taken anywhere. I want to buy her a plane ticket to California, where I (15) live, and have her move in with me. I've gotten consent from my parents telling me it would be okay if she lived here, given the circumstances. Is it illegal to have her move in with me? Would her parents be able to take her back if she were found? Would she even be found if she were to leave Florida and run away to California?

[ccsmod13]

RE: Harboring my runaway long-distance girlfriend?

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline and sharing with us some of what is going on with you and your gf. We are glad that you reached out and we hope that we can help and support you in what you want to do. We are so sorry to hear that she is being mistreated at home. We think it is great that she has someone that she is able to turn to for support during these hard times.

We are not legal experts but we can speak in general terms what it would mean if she were to leave home without her parents permission. To start off with running away is not a criminal offense, it is a status offense. This means that she cannot leave without her legal guardians consent. If she were to leave without their consent then they would have an option of filing a runaway report with the police. This lets the police know that they cannot be legally responsible for her because she left without their permission. If she are found then the police would most likely bring her back to her legal guardians. If she are found at a family member or friend’s house, then her legal guardians may have the option of charging that person with harboring a runaway which is a misdemeanor offense.

It sounds like she has a great support system with you and your family. You mentioned that you want to buy her a plane ticket to CA. Again, we are not legal experts but in general terms, if you or your parents were to buy a plane ticket for your gf and her parents did not give her consent to live with you, then your family could be charged with aiding a runaway across state lines. Because she is crossing state lines, there may be federal laws that are being broken as well. We understand that you and your family would like to help your gf, something to ask you and your family is, is this a risk you are willing to take.

You mentioned that you nothing has been done regarding the abuse your gf is facing with her parents and their partners. One option she has is to file an abuse report with her local Child Protective Services. She can call Child Help USA at 1800.422.4453 and they can put her in contact with her state agency who you take the report. She can also call us on our 24/7 hotline and we can make the report for her or with her. Whatever she feels comfortable with. We understand that you stated that the police have brought her mother in, sometimes making multiple reports is one way to have the police notice the severity of the situation. It is unfortunate that this has to happen, but it may help your gf get out of her situation.

We hoped this helped and we encourage you to give us a call on our 24/7 hotline at 1800.786.2929 or you can chat with us on our website every day from 4:30pm-11:30pm CST. We look forward to hearing from you and Happy New Year.

NRS

[Unregistered]

My gf n me

Ok so my gf is turning 18 soon n am 3 yrs younger then her is that illegal and when she does turn 18 can I pick her up without tell her parents since she a grown up

[ccsmod4]

REply: My gf n me

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

We appreciate you reaching out on this matter however we are not legal experts.
The dating age differential can change from state to state that being said you might consider contacting our 24hr crisis line for information to legal aid resources in your area.

Just call 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or visit www.1800Runaway.org (live chat) to talk with someone about your situation.

Take Care,
NRS