# age of consent/pornography

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-consent-pornography/205968>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 7, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-consent-pornography/205968 "2003-10-07T00:12:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-consent-pornography/205968/1 "2003-10-07T00:12:52Z")

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alright, the age of consent is 15-16-17 in some places, child porn laws say 18 everywhere.

is it possible that you can have sex with a person that haveing a photo of would send you to jail?

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-consent-pornography/205968/2 "2003-10-07T00:22:17Z")

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Very briefly, yes.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-consent-pornography/205968/3 "2003-10-07T03:54:52Z")

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Yes, and you can also write a story or even a biography containing explicit or even disgusting descriptions of the sex acts, because the written word is protected by the first amendment.

This is true everywhere in the U.S. Everywhere that has access to really good attorneys who can afford to continue the case until they finally find a higher court that will throw it out. :eek:

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/age-of-consent-pornography/205968/4 "2003-10-07T12:53:17Z")

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To answer the “why” part of the question, different sections of the law can define words differently. So in the section of the law dealing with statutory rape/age of consent, “minor” or “child” may be defined as "a person who has not yet reached 16 years of age, and for purposes of child pornography statutes “child” or “minor” may be defined as “a person who has not yet reached 18 years of age.” That one part of the law allows for one to have sex with a person without legal repercussion is not a defense to charges under another section of the law if one photographs that same person in the act.