What is statutory rape?

Statutory rape is defined as sexual intercourse with someone who hasn’t yet reached the age of consent — and it makes no difference if both parties agree. Statutory rape is a strict liability law, therefore it doesn’t matter if the rapist knew the victim was of the age of consent or not. Moreover, in many states, a person who is under the age of consent can be convicted of statutory rape for having sex with someone else under the age of consent; thus, two minors under the age of 16 can each be convicted of statutory rape (though, prosecution is rare and – unless one minor is three years older than the other — it is usually only a misdemeanor).