Case Explained: Bill Makes Sex a Crime with Consenting Teens – Legal Perspective

(Indianapolis, IN) – State Senator Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shores) is authoring a bill that would ensure more legal protections are in place to keep children safe from sexual predators.

Currently, the legal age of consent in Indiana is 16 with specific close-in-age exemptions for certain scenarios.  Under Bohacek’s proposal, it would be a crime for anyone over the age of 24 to engage in sexual activity with a 16 year old child granting consent.  A person over 25 would be committing a crime for having sexual activity with a consenting child who is 16 or 17.

“All children deserve to be protected from predators seeking to exploit them, and our current laws simply aren’t doing a good enough job at ensuring Hoosier children are protected,” Bohacek said.

Violators would also be required to register as a sex offender.

“This bill becomes even more relevant when it comes to ensuring we protect our youth as we get more and more information on the situation regarding Jeffrey Epstein.  We never want a similar situation to happen in Indiana, and I think it is our duty as legislators to take whatever measures we can to prevent anything even remotely similar from happening,” he said.

The proposal is contained in Senate Bill 290, which has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law for consideration.