In Indiana, it's considered child molestation to have sex with a child younger than 14, who cannot consent to sex. Raising the age of consent would defy national trends of decriminalizing consensual sex, Decker said. With the modernization of sex crime laws, "it's not criminal for teenagers who are very close in age to have sex together," said Indiana State University associate professor Lisa Decker, who teaches in the criminology and criminal justice department. Would sex involving a 17-year-old who is dating a 21-year-old, for example, be illegal? At 18, you're old enough to vote.īut one local criminal justice expert says that with possible changes to the age of consent in Indiana, lawmakers also would have to carefully define who can have sex with whom. The key question that lawmakers likely would consider: What's the difference in your judgment at age 16 and age 18?Īt 16, you're old enough to get a learner's permit but not your driver's license.
On Wednesday, state lawmakers are scheduled to discuss Senate Resolution 3, which if passed would bring up Fields' proposal for more serious consideration in a summer study committee. With a petition in the works, Fields also hopes to rally legislative support. Two, to add some kind of provision that would make it illegal for much older adults to have sexual relationships with teens. There are two changes that could have helped shield his daughter, he said: One, to raise the age of consent to 18 from its current 16. Unable to press charges against the older man, Fields is pursuing changes to Indiana's sex crime laws. In many other states, they'd be thrown in jail in a second." "They can pretty well do whatever, and there's nothing there. "The way the law is written now, there's no way to prevent someone who is 50 years old from going after someone who is 16," said the girl's father, Rob Fields, 38, Bedford. At 17, under Indiana law, she was old enough to consent to sex. He wanted her to meet him at his office and at his house when his wife wasn't home.īy the time they had sex, the law couldn't protect her. He told her how awesome it was that she was still a virgin, how stupid the boys her age were for not trying to get in her pants, how he would be trying to all the time if he were in high school. He was a trusted family friend who had been like part of the family since she was 14. He was 39, more than twice her age.įor years, her parents said they later found out, the older man had been flattering the teen.
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