statutory rape

noun

: sexual intercourse with a person who is below the statutory age of consent

Examples of statutory rape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

She is shamed and ripped off stage as Driver’s character is arrested for statutory rape. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 16 May 2024

Saavedra, meanwhile, was convicted in October 2023 of committing statutory rape and oral copulation of a person under 18 years of age, both felony offenses. —Bay City News, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024

The bleak irony of applying it to a relationship that involved statutory rape and no small amount of psychological damage is the first stroke of brilliance in Haynes’ latest masterpiece, but far from the last. —EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023

Investigators are also looking into allegations of statutory rape against Sean Combs, the source said. —Doha Madani, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

statutory rape

noun

stat·​u·​to·​ry rape ˌstach-ə-ˌtōr-ē- 

: sexual intercourse with a person who is below the age of consent as defined by law

Legal Definition

statutory rape

noun

: rape consisting of sexual intercourse with a person beneath an age (as 14 years) specified by statute

Note: Many state statutes also specify a minimum age of the perpetrator or an age differential (as at least four years) between the perpetrator and the victim. Consent of the victim and belief that the victim is of the age of consent are usually considered immaterial. Statutory rape is now codified under various names, such as rape in the second degree, rape in the third degree, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, and criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.