By Ave Mince-Didier. Seventeen is the age of consent in Missouri. Adults who engage in sexual activity with children under the age of consent can be prosecuted and convicted of statutory rape , statutory sodomy, or child molestation. It is also a crime in Missouri for a teacher or school employee to engage in sexual contact with a student. In all statutory rape cases, the determinative fact is whether the victim is underage.
In the United States, age of consent laws regarding sexual activity are made at the state level. There are several federal statutes related to protecting minors from sexual predators, but laws regarding specific age requirements for sexual consent are left to individual states , District of Columbia , and territories. Depending on the jurisdiction, the legal age of consent ranges from age 16 to age In some places, civil and criminal laws within the same state conflict with each other. Different jurisdictions express these definitions differently. Some, like Australian states, may say the age of consent is 16 except if the older partner is in a position of authority over the younger one.
There are a number of factors that determine if a person legally consents, from their age to whether they're incapacitated. Learn about consent in your state. Do you suspect that a child or elderly person is being sexually abused? Even if the crime took place years ago, there may still be time to prosecute.
In general, the age of consent in Missouri for sexual intercourse is 17 years old. This is the age at which a person can consent to have sex with another person who is also that age or older. This age of consent applies to both heterosexual and homosexual conduct.