# Are The Olsen Twins 'Legal'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110 "2003-06-11T14:49:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/1 "2003-06-11T14:49:25Z")
I read that the Olsen twins, Mary Kate and Ashley, will be celebrating their 17th birthday on Friday, June 13, 2003. I’ve also heard that 17 is the age of consent in several states, with some states dropping even lower. In Pennsylvania, for example, the age of consent is only 16. So, in which state have the Olsen twins established their legal residence? And what is the age of consent in that particular state?? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/2 "2003-06-11T15:01:26Z")
Look who’s got weekend plans! Seriously, I don’t think state-of-residence has anything to do with it. I think location of ‘act’ has controlling jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/3 "2003-06-11T15:06:20Z")
I recall seeing an interview with them just a couple of weeks ago, and I am reasonably certain that California is their state of residence. According to this [Age of Consent website](http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm), California’s age of consent is 18. Sorry, man, you’ll need to wait another year. Incidentally, you might like to keep track [here](http://www.olsentwinscountdown.com/) Good luck, though! ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/4 "2003-06-11T15:08:26Z")
The Olsen twins live in California where the age of consent is 18. BTW, the age of consent is a way of defining at what age a person can legally consent to sex. The age of majority in most states is at least 18. One more year 'til Playboy. Yippee! ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/5 "2003-06-11T15:25:27Z")
**Jonathan Chance** -“_Seriously, I don’t think state-of-residence has anything to do with it. I think location of ‘act’ has controlling jurisdiction._” Can anyone confirm this? If that’s correct, it means that some 35 year old guy can plan a little ‘vacation’ to Missouri with some 14 year old just to have sex with her, and not be prosecuted. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/6 "2003-06-11T15:35:25Z")
It’s called ‘Transporting minors across state lines for immoral purposes’, and it’s still illegal. Sorry, Surreal. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/7 "2003-06-11T15:44:00Z")
Okay. Thanks, **ArrrMatey**. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/8 "2003-06-11T15:48:24Z")
Yeah, **Surreal** , **ArrrMatey** has it right. Not only that, you get into federal crime territory with that. Bad, bad idea. On the plus side-the young ladies have evidently chosen to go to college here in Texas, starting this fall. And the AoC 'round these parts is 17. So I guess you’re in luck! We do have some pretty serious anti-stalking laws though, so watch your step if you head down here from Gobbler’s Knob for a visit … [Aside] Hey-June 13th is my younger son’s birthday! I never knew that he shared a birthday with the Olsen twins! If only I had an underage celebrity obsession, I’d probably have been aware of that before he turned six … So, anyone know Alexa Vega’s birthday? 😃 [/Aside] ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/9 "2003-06-11T16:01:42Z")
[Countdown To Olsen Twins Legality!](http://www.brokennewz.com/reports/olsentwins.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/10 "2003-06-11T16:14:55Z")
But if Mr. 35-year-old goes to visit Miss 14-year-old in Missouri, where she already resides, that’s not transporting a minor across state lines for immoral purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/11 "2003-06-11T16:22:26Z")
Correction to my previous post. According to the Age of Consent website ([ageofconsent.com](http://ageofconsent.com)), the Missouri statutes were revised in 2001 to declare, > [@](#): > > 1. A person commits the crime of statutory rape in the second degree if being twenty-one years of age or older, he has sexual intercourse with another person who is less than seventeen years of age. > 2. Statutory rape in the second degree is a class C felony. So, Mr. 20-year-old could travel to Missouri to meet Miss 14-year-old, but Mr. 35-year-old could not. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/12 "2003-06-11T17:07:36Z")
I am thankful that I’m not the only sick bastard. Is it _illegal_ to wonder aloud about when they’ll be making a John sandwich on a well oiled bed? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/13 "2003-06-11T17:17:30Z")
**Two** Ashley Twins legal-age countdown sites? Sheesh! And why is the clock on the one **Q.E.D.** posted 12 hours and 59 minutes behind **Morkfromork** ’s? ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Fugazi79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi79)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/14 "2003-06-11T17:52:10Z")
I recall reading in a recent mens magazine (I think It was Gear) that 14 is the legal agein PA. Also, as far as traveling, I heard a guest on Howard last year who plans travel trips to counties in Africa where you can legaly purchace women/children as young as 6 or 7, FROM THE PARENTS for sex, and this is totally legal for an American to do. Makes me think of the recent stoning that took place on the same continent last year. Hard to believet his stuff goes on on the same planet doesnt it??? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/15 "2003-06-11T18:01:57Z")
Pennsylvania statutes: > [@](#): > > 3122.1. **Statutory sexual assault**. > Except as provided in section 3121 (relating to rape), a person commits a felony of the second degree when that person engages in sexual intercourse with a complainant under the age of 16 years and that person is four or more years older than the complainant and the complainant and the person are not married to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/16 "2003-06-11T19:01:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fugazi79 \* > **I heard … you can legaly purchace women/children as young as 6 or 7, FROM THE PARENTS for sex, and this is totally legal for an American to do.** Also from [ageofconsent.com](http://www.ageofconsent.com/uscitizens.htm), some commentary on U.S. Code, Title 18, Chapter 117, SubSection 2423 Part (b) is a little more complex but essentially it says that if you travel across state or international lines for the purpose of paying for a sex act (defined in Chapter 109A, SubSection 2246, [basically, penetration, oral sex, intercourse]) with a minor (in this case minor may mean under 16 OR 18, depending on the specific act), and if the sex act you are paying for is considered a crime under chapter 109A, subsection 2241-2245 (basically, rape, sexual assault, statutory rape[under 16]), then you have committed a crime. You are also guilty if you aren’t the one travelling but are a conspirator in the crime. An example would be if you sold people trips overseas for the purpose of having them pay for sex with minors (in this case, under 16). So, the fellow who felt that it was safe to advertise what he was doing to the world on Howard and who thought he couldn’t be touched by the law, since it was foreign jurisdiction - well, he may already be his cellmate’s little girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-olsen-twins-legal/181110/17 "2003-06-11T19:05:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by postcards \* > \*\ ***Two** And why is the clock on the one **Q.E.D.** posted 12 hours and 59 minutes behind **Morkfromork** ’s? \*\* Shush, dude! You’re gonna ruin my head start!