AgeOfConsent
Kentucky Age of Consent Laws 2024
What is the Kentucky Age of Consent?
The Kentucky Age of Consent is 16 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 15 or younger in Kentucky are not legally able to consent to sexual activity, and such activity may result in prosecution for statutory rape.
Kentucky statutory rape law is violated when a person has consensual sexual intercourse with an individual under age 16. The age of consent is raised to 18 if the offender is in a position of trust or authority over the victim.
Kentucky 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 Kentucky, it is possible for two individuals both under the age of 16 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 15 year old and the second is a 16 or 17 year old.
Age of Consent across the United States
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 old17 years old
18 years old
Punishments for Violating the Age Of Consent in Kentucky
Kentucky has five 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 Kentucky Age of Consent, as statutory rape or the Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Incest | Class A felony; Class B felony | 20-50 years in prison; 10-20 years in prison |
| Rape- first degree | Class B felony | 10-20 years in prison |
| Sexual abuse- first degree | Class C felony | 5-10 years in prison |
| Sodomy- first degree | Class A felony | 20-50 years in prison |
| Unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in | Class D felony | 1-5 years in prison |
Back to list of state ages of consent View international ages of consent