# Jail for picking up a minor?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-for-picking-up-a-minor/115881 "2002-06-25T14:09:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-for-picking-up-a-minor/115881/1 "2002-06-25T14:09:54Z")
This is a quote from a review of [url=]Where The Heart Is: > [@](#): > > Following a brief **jail term for picking up a minor in his car** , Willy, who turns out to be a talented country singer, heads to Nashville, where he is hired as a client by disgruntled agent Ruth Meyers (Joan Cusack), and quickly is given the more alluring name of Billy Shadow. Am I missing something? It’s illegal to give a minor a ride? Is hitchhiking illegal? How would you get caught if you picked up a hitchhiker? I mean, if a cop pulls you over, they have no way to know the person with you was hitchhiking? ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-for-picking-up-a-minor/115881/2 "2002-06-25T14:11:05Z")
oops, I forgot the : [Where The Heart Is](http://www.themovieboy.com/reviews/w/00_wheretheheartis.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tom\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Head)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-for-picking-up-a-minor/115881/3 "2002-06-27T04:50:37Z")
Driving a minor across state lines without parental consent is illegal under the Mann Act, if memory serves, but it’s unlikely any charges would be filed if the minor was hitchhiking and the driver was not obviously predatory. Looks to me like a cheap plot device: They had to think of a way of getting the character in jail without his, you know, actually doing anything wrong. Cheers, ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-for-picking-up-a-minor/115881/4 "2002-06-27T13:22:35Z")
I saw the movie (God help me) and its obvious that Willy knew the girl in question carnally. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-for-picking-up-a-minor/115881/5 "2002-06-27T13:39:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Driving a minor across state lines without parental consent is illegal under the Mann Act, if memory serves, IIRC, the Mann Act only deals with transporting a person across state lines for “immoral purposes” (e.g., prostitution). ---
**Author:** ![KXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KXL)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-for-picking-up-a-minor/115881/6 "2002-06-27T16:57:19Z")
**IIRC, the Mann Act only deals with transporting a person across state lines for “immoral purposes” (e.g., prostitution).** Or, as was discussed here in detail a few weeks ago, for the purpose of having sex with said minor in a state that would allow it. I.E. You are 21, she is 16. Age of consent is 18 where you two are, so you drive south to a place where it’s 16. That’s illegal.