Illegal Relationship!

[Elbell]

Hi, so I currently am in a relationship with a guy in another state. He's in Oklahoma and I'm in Arizona, so it is indeed long distance. He's also soon to be 18 with me being 17 a month later, but we have some serious concerns about the legalities of our relationship when we do finally get to meet face to face.

We are aware of the laws in our states on statutory rape to some extent, but we don't know overall if we could have sex or not (as we do want to when we can). I've read it's illegal to cross state lines to have sex with a minor, but there are also laws protecting close in age people having sex in most states, particular the ones we may plan meeting in?

I guess my main question is if anyone can help explain what we need to worry about. I'm just getting more confused as I read but I also don't wanna have to wait until we're both 18 if we don't have to... Thanks in advance to anyone that can help, and I can try and give more information if it's needed.

[ccsmod11]

RE: Illegal Relationship!

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us. This sounds like a really difficult situation and it takes a lot of courage to ask for help. It sounds like your relationship is very important to you.

At the National Runaway Safeline we are not legal experts, we can only speak generally. In general if you are a minor it can become a legal issue if an adult is having relations with someone underage. In this situation it would be recommended to contact your local police department and see what the laws are for that state (so in this case, Oklahoma).

We took a look at this website (http://sexetc.org/action-center/sex-in-the-states/), which has good information about your legal rights and age of consent for each state.

One thing to be aware of is that if you leave home before you turn 18, then your guardian has the right to file a runaway report with the police. If the police find you with an adult, that adult could be charged with harboring a runaway. The consequences for that range from fines to jail time. If the person that you're in a relationship with transports you across state lines, there could be legal consequences for that too. We just want to make sure that we give you as much information as possible.

This sounds like a very frustrating situation, and it sounds like this person you’re talking about means a lot to you and that the two of you really look forward to meeting.

Again, we’re really glad you reached out to us. It takes a lot to ask for help and you are trying to figure out your options which is really good. If you would like to talk further about your situation please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. We’re here to listen and to help you anytime, we are 24/7 and confidential. Good luck to you!