Statutory Rape Law in South Carolina

My question involves criminal law for the state of: South Carolina

Hello, As the title says, I'm 18 years old(DOB: 01-08-1997) and my girlfriend is 15 years old(DOB: 11-11-1999). We've been dating since 11-10-2014 and we've been having sex since 12-24-2014. And now there might be the possibility of her being pregnant. Her parents know we are dating and haven't stopped us. But they do not know that we are having sex. What are we protected by and what are we not protected by? Thank you for your time.

Congratulations RAPIST! You do understand that she can not legally give you consent nor can her parents. You are incriminating yourself to Second Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct With a Minor. That's good for TWENTY YEARS. Get yourself to a lawyer and stay away from this girl.

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Quoting Blacksmoke15

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What are we protected by and what are we not protected by? Thank you for your time.

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She's protected by a set of laws that says children can't give their consent to be sexually assaulted. You? You'll have the protection of a defense attorney that will make sure your constitutional rights won't be trampled on when they charge you with sexually assaulting this child.

With due respect to the above, assuming that everybody agrees that the acts were consensual and you have no prior dispositions as a sex offender, it looks to me like this would fall under the state's "Romeo & Juliet" exception:

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Quoting South Carolina Code, Sec. 16-3-655(C). Criminal sexual conduct with a minor; aggravating and mitigating circumstances; penalties; repeat offenders.

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(C) A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the third degree if the actor is over fourteen years of age and the actor wilfully and lewdly commits or attempts to commit a lewd or lascivious act upon or with the body, or its parts, of a child under sixteen years of age, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of the actor or the child. However, a person may not be convicted of a violation of the provisions of this subsection if the person is eighteen years of age or less when the person engages in consensual lewd or lascivious conduct with another person who is at least fourteen years of age.

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Quoting flyingron

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Congratulations RAPIST!

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A little inflammatory, don't you think?

In the 50s, we had the Red Scare. Now, we have this hysteria. Get a grip, dude.

Mr. K points out a mistake I made. Yes, I knew about the Romeo and Juliet law but I had misread it as to not include 18 year oflds (it's 18 or less, not under 18).


And to Mr. John_28's useless point: Abusing minors under the age of consent is hardly a new "scare." In fact, 20 years would be kind to what would have happened to him back in the 50's.

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Quoting flyingron

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And to Mr. John_28's useless point: Abusing minors under the age of consent is hardly a new "scare." In fact, 20 years would be kind to what would have happened to him back in the 50's.

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Actually, decades ago (maybe a century ago), ladies could and did get married at age 15 or 16 to older men.

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Quoting John_28

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Actually, decades ago (maybe a century ago), ladies could and did get married at age 15 or 16 to older men.

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Its more than a century ago. More like 150 years.

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Quoting llworking

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Its more than a century ago. More like 150 years.

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In this country, perhaps.

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Quoting Dogmatique

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In this country, perhaps.

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Well yeah, there is that...I guess its still happening in some parts of the world.