The Louisiana Age of Consent is 17 years old. In the United States, the age of consent is the minimum age at which an individual is considered legally old enough to consent to participation in sexual activity. Individuals aged 16 or younger in Louisiana are not legally able to consent to sexual activity, and such activity may result in prosecution for statutory rape.
Louisiana statutory rape law is violated when a person has consensual sexual intercourse with an individual under age 17 who is not their spouse.
Louisiana does not have a close-in-age exemption. Close in age exemptions, commonly known as "Romeo and Juliet laws", are put in place to prevent the prosecution of individuals who engage in consensual sexual activity when both participants are significantly close in age to each other, and one or both partners are below the age of consent.
Because there is no such "Romeo and Juliet law" in Louisiana, it is possible for two individuals both under the age of 17 who willingly engage in intercourse to both be prosecuted for statutory rape, although this is rare. Similarly, no protections are reserved for sexual relations in which one participant is a 16 year old and the second is a 17 or 18 year old.
The Age of Consent ranges state-by-state from 16 to 18 years old across the United States. Click the map to view any state's age of consent laws.
Age Of Consent:
16 years oldLouisiana has nine statutory sexual abuse charges on the books which are used to prosecute age of consent and child abuse related crimes within the state. One or more of these charges may be used to prosecute violations of the Louisiana Age of Consent, as statutory rape or the Louisiana equivalent of that charge.
The severity of the criminal charge (felony, misdemeanor, etc) depends on the specifics of the acts committed and the relative ages of the perpetrator and victim. Click any charge for more detailed information.
| Criminal Charge | Severity | Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| Aggravated incest | Felony | Punishable by imprisonment at hard labor for not less than 25 years nor more than 99 years. |
| Aggravated Rape | Felony | Death or life imprisonment |
| Felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile | Felony | Punishable by fine not more than $5000 and/or by imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for not more than 10 years |
| Indecent behavior with juveniles | Felony | Punishable by imprisonment at hard labor for not less than 2 nor more than 25 years |
| Misdemeanor carnal knowledge of a juvenile | Misdemeanor | Punishable by fine not more than $1000, and/or by imprisonment for not more than 6 months |
| Molestation of a juvenile | Felony | Punishable by fine not more than $10000 and/or by imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for not less than 5 nor more than 40 years.; Punishable by imprisonment at hard labor for not less than 25 nor more than 99 years ; Punishable by fine of not more than $10000 and/or by imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for not less than 5 nor more than 40 years; Punishable by fine not more than $10000 and/or by imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for not less than 5 nor more than 20 years; Punishable by fine not more than $5000 and/or by imprisonment with or without hard labor, for not less than 5 nor more than 10 years |
| Oral Sexual Battery | Felony | Up to 10 years in prison (with or without hard labor) without probation/parole/ suspension |
| Sexual Battery | Felony | Up to 10 years in prison (with or without hard labor) without probation/parole/ suspension |
| Sexual Battery- second degree | Felony | Up to 15 years in prison (with or without hard labor) without probation/parole/ suspension |
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If you are a victim of sexual assault or statutory rape, call the 24-hour RAINN help hotline at 800-656-HOPE