Online Activity Involving a Minor and Adult

**dinosaurjump** · 07-10-2010, 03:21 PM

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Not sure

Hello, I'm not sure if this is in the right forum.

Recently, I have come to strongly suspect that someone who I have seen online is in a relationship with a seventeen-year-old, in spite of being in his thirties. This is not someone I have a bone to pick with or anything--I like and respect the creativity he has, I'm just uncomfortable seeing this. Is there anything I should do? I'm not sure where they live.

**Dogmatique** · 07-10-2010, 03:22 PM

How do you know what's going on?

That aside, without knowing their respective location it's impossible to even hazard a guess as to whether there's anything "wrong" happening.

**dinosaurjump** · 07-10-2010, 03:27 PM

That's pretty much what I thought. From what I can tell, they live in California.

As for how I know, she pretty much listed him as her boyfriend on one of her sites. I have also seen other concerned messages.

I'm going to guess that this isn't something I can do much about.

**wv123** · 07-12-2010, 08:38 AM

You don't know these people well enough to even know what state they are in (you don't know if they are really boyfriend-girlfriend, if they have even met, let alone if they are actually having sex, i.e., doing something illegal). The girl "pretty much" sees the guy as a boyfriend, so if they are doing something illegal, it is not forcible. If they are doing something illegal, it's not going to be illegal for much longer since she will be 18 soon enough.
So why do you want to get involved??? Leave them alone.

**dinosaurjump** · 07-12-2010, 09:54 PM

Yeah, I have no idea if anything "wrong" is going on. I guess I was just shocked--I thought better of this person. Oh, well.

**aardvarc** · 07-13-2010, 02:20 AM

Quoting wv123

The girl "pretty much" sees the guy as a boyfriend, so if they are doing something illegal, it is not forcible.

Not even close. Regardless of what a minor thinks about their dating situation, they are not legally capable of giving consent. And California law is VERY clear that the age of consent is 18 - so IF there is something going on, it is most certainly enforceable.

If they are doing something illegal, it's not going to be illegal for much longer since she will be 18 soon enough.

By that logic, don't bother to arrest that crack dealer over there, because he's only got two more rocks on him and once those are sold he'll be done with criminal activity for the night.