The Age of Consent
N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2 — 16, and a second degree crime when the actor is four years older
An actor is guilty of sexual assault, a crime of the second degree, by sexual penetration of a victim who is at least 13 but less than 16 years old when the actor is at least four years older. A crime of the second degree carries between five years and 10 years.
Who handles this in New Jersey: Essex County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the New Jersey directory.
Younger victims, aggravated forms, registration and the consequences of a conviction are in this and other sections, not set out here. A charge, or the worry of one, is a question for a licensed New Jersey attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2 — Sexual assault
- N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6 — Sentence of imprisonment for crimes
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Jersey attorney.