Given recent landmark changes to the Juvenile Justice Act, there presently exist some troubling inconsistencies in the sex offense laws in NC and related public polices of the State of North Carolina. Indeed, N. Sexual acts include things like:. Statutory Rape in North Carolina is categorized as a Class B1 Felony and requires a active prison term of no less than months in prison. While it may sound young, the age of consent in North Carolina at 16, is not necessarily the lowest in the nation.
The age of consent varies from state-to-state, subject to the unique criminal laws of each state. In North Carolina, it is not illegal for minors to date each other. It also is not a criminal offense to date someone under the age of 16 years old.
There are sex offenses defined under the NC Criminal Laws and civil causes of action may exist for contributing to the delinquency of minors, sex offenses, and improper supervision of minors. Due to the severity of the offense and potential for long term harm and damages due to sex offenses, North Carolina anyone aware of statutory rape may report the crime. As such, in addition to parents and legal guardians, friends, family, and anyone else aware of the rape may contact local law enforcement to report a crime.
In fact, it may be illegal NOT to report statutory rape or other sex offense for certain people in positions of trust and authority, including:. Consent by a victim or even a parent is not a legal defense to statutory rape charges in North Carolina, even in instances with express consent.
Implied consent similarly does not serve as a valid defense for criminal charges for statutory rape in NC. Implied consent is generally described as agreement to or consenting to sexual acts based on the nature and circumstances of the conduct.
