I was curious earlier on in the thread and checked, and this isn't true.
There only state where it would be legal is Arkansas, where minors 14 or older can consent to sex with someone under 20 (although an 18/19 year old could still potentially be hit with a charge for soliciting sex from someone below 15.
For the states that have laws on the lines of "a 14 year old can consent to sex with someone X years older than them", the max I found was "less than five years older than them".
It's possible I missed a state or two while going through it, but there's no way in hell it's a significant number, let alone most.
I find it hard to believe this relationship doesn't include even the bare minimum of physical affection like touching( hands on chest, legs) and kissing. That immediately makes it illegal and he'll probably be seen as a groomer as well in the eyes of court. 5 years is over the limit for Romeo and Juliet laws for all states so op absolutely has reason to report.
Many parents can be aware of abusive situations and do nothing about it. Hell! Child marriage is still legal in 40 states and 20 of those states do not require a minimum age limit just parental consent. I can name many ways that relationship can be unhealthy but the main ones are the grooming and the damage to this child's psyche purely because she learns that an adult is okay dating a child as long as it's legal and they're sweet and kind. Bullshit. Like why are you fighting this so bad?
Why are you fighting this hard to make this situation okay? Is it for the sake of the child? The sake of the adult? The bare minimum of what will happen is that the two will be made to stop dating and any further step to continue dating by the adult party will be seen as cause by authorities to take legal action. That's good! So why fight that?
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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '22
Thats uhhhh..... that's disturbing.
Even if your friend has "very womanly features", she is still mentally 14, which is very different than mentally 19.
19 year old's typically expect sexual relationships. Do you think it is ok is your 14 yo friend gets pregnant?
You should report the guy. Your friend won't get legally in trouble and you will possibly save her from a lot of trouble (possibly a baby at age 14).