age of consent

The legal age, established by statute in the relevant jurisdiction, at which time an individual is permitted to marry without parental approval, enter into business contracts, or engage in sexual relations of his or her own volition. Engaging in sexual relations with one who is younger than the age of consent can result in criminal charges and conviction of the older person for statutory rape. An erroneous belief that the younger person was of the age of consent usually is not a sustainable defense against these charges.