


The new law also allows those convicted under the old law to clear their names.

Under Texas’ version of the law, if a young adult over the age of 17 has consensual sexual relations with someone under the age of 17, but at least 15 years old, with no more than a four-year age difference between the two, the new law will not require the older party to register as a sex offender if convicted of statutory rape. These types of laws exempt some teenagers and young adults engaging in sexual relations with someone under the age of consent from being classified as sex offenders. Some state legislatures, such as Texas, have responded to the parental demands for change by enacting so-called “Romeo and Juliet” Law. He now must wear a GPS device so his daily movements can be monitored. He served six years behind bars and, once released, had to register as a sex offender. When the two rekindled their relationship, it was a violation of the young man’s probation, which led to the young man being sentenced to five to 15 years in prison. As the age of consent in this particular state is 16, which the girlfriend was not, the 18-year-old pleaded guilty to criminal sexual misconduct and was sentenced to one year in jail plus three years’ probation. In a particularly poignant example, an 18-year-old high school senior was arrested for having sex with his freshman girlfriend at the same high school. The parents are arguing that the laws - which lump underage sex among teenagers into the same category as pedophiles and violent sexual offenders - impose punishments on their children that do not fit the crime. In an ironic twist, parents across the nation are fighting against the very laws that are designed to protect their children. However, for some teenagers in Texas and nationwide, young love can land them a lengthy jail sentence, due to the sex crimes laws on the books. Know How Romeo And Juliet Laws Apply To Youīesides the rising of the sun and the ebbing of the tides, there is perhaps nothing more constant and recurring throughout the generations as young love.

Calmly explain how Romeo and Juliet laws protect you and your partner, and you should not receive any legal consequences. If you are both within 3 years of age with each other, over the age of 14, neither of you are registered sexual offenders, and you both consented to the act in question, then your actions are as legal as crossing the street at a crosswalk. If someone accuses you of sleeping with a minor here in Texas, you want to be sure that the state’s Romeo and Juliet laws protect your actions.
