Tennessee  |  Legal Ethics

Re: Legal age range for dating.

I wish we lived in a world where "dating" meant simply platonic dating, as with my parent's generation. An adult cannot have sex with a minor under the age of 18 -- and that includes a prohibition on fondling, carressing, etc. I am not an expert in this area, but I believe minors who have consensual sex with other minors or with an adult no more than 3 years older than they are would not trigger the statutory rape laws. But do not take my word for it on the 3-year age difference. You need to investigate that point yourself. A person who reaches age 18 is a legal adult and can decide for himself/herself who she wants to date -- assuming she is not impaired and has mental capacity to make those decisions for herself.