The legal age of consent in Colorado is 17 years old. This law is in place to protect young people from potential predators and to prevent adults from having sex with minors. Consent is defined as “permission for something to happen or agreement to do something” according to dictionaries, but Colorado law defines it differently. Colorado's age of consent is 17, but there are important stipulations in tow.
If someone acts on the wrong side of them, they can face criminal charges and conviction often means years in prison. Even though the age of majority is 21 in Colorado, most age-related privileges are granted at 18. To protect yourself from becoming an alleged perpetrator, it's wise to have a firm understanding of how consent works in the state. Minors can be charged with this crime in Colorado Juvenile Court, and consent is not a defense. In cases of sexual intercourse, defendants over 16 years of age who are at least 2 years older than the victim are guilty of second-degree rape.
Coaches, teachers and pastors in Colorado are not allowed to have any sexual contact with children under 18 who are under their supervision, regardless of consent and age difference. Issues such as domestic marriage, whether the child's supervisory or disciplinary authority is responsible when a statutory violation occurs, and how child prostitution laws extend up to the age of consent are highly nuanced. Sixteen states set age limits for defendants, below which individuals cannot be prosecuted for sexual intercourse with minors. As in other states, the age difference influences how criminal sexual charges depend on allegations of having had sexual contact with a minor.
If you are a minor and you are concerned about your rights under Colorado's legal age laws, then you should get legal help from a local family law attorney. Nevada law states that if the initial evaluation of the report, conducted by the child welfare services agency, indicates that an investigation is warranted, the agency and law enforcement agencies must cooperate with each other and coordinate their investigation. CRS 18-3-403 defines sexual assault, forcible rape, and rape in Colorado as sexual intrusion or sexual penetration into a victim without consent. Unlike most rape laws, where force is a key element of the crime, statutory rape laws assume that all sexual activities with people under a certain age are coercive, even if both parties believe their participation is voluntary.
