A person age 17 may legally consent to sexual activity. At the age of 17, a person can no longer be a victim of statutory rape. In Texas, the statutory rape law is titled 21.11 Indecency with a minor. If a 17 year old moves out of the parent’s home without permission, (i.e. runs away) this is considered a civil infraction and not a criminal offense. Police will not intervene to retrieve the minor and return them to the custody of the parent unless or until a requisition motion is filed in court by the parent to have the minor returned home to their custody. When a requisition motion becomes a court order, the authorities must carry out the order to pick up the minor and return the minor to the custody of the parents. The parent is legally and financially responsible for the minor until the age of 18. The other option would be to terminate parental rights, which releases the parent from legal liability. A minor can petition the court to emancipate under Chapter 13 of the Family Code. This is called “Removal of Disability of a Minor”. The minor must prove to the court that they are self sustained and not reliant on the parents for any assistance financial or otherwise.

This is a tough question. A lot would depend on how compelling your Mom's information is to the police and the District attorney (DA). The age difference is a red flag. Your Mom can't press criminal charges against him. She can only file a police report, or complaint naming him as the party to a crime against her minor child; the police will either open an investigation, or they will drop it. If they do a preliminary investigation and find compelling evidence, the District Attorney may open a case. In Texas, the statutory rape law is called "Indecency with a child" and it falls under the special statute of limitations laws (below) for sexual offenses. "The statute of limitations for certain offenses against minors is a period of 10 years after the victim reaches age 18. If the 30 year old has never had any arrests or allegations of this kind against him and the phone calls and other activities can be explained under his manager/agent status as part of the professional working relationship, he probably won't have anything to worry about. If police ever want to question him, it would be in his best interest to have an attorney present. Your Mom has the right as the parent to make her suspicions known and file a report with police if she believes a crime was committed against her minor child. The statute of limitations for certain offenses against a minor is a period within 10 years after the victim reaches age 18. The offenses included are:

• Indecency with a child
• Intentional or knowing sexual assault of a child
• Intentional or knowing aggravated assault of a child
• Generally, the statute of limitations for a felony is 3 years after commission of the offense.

No If you are 18 years of age, you can not legally have sex with someone 16 years of age. In Texas, the age a person can no longer be a victim of statutory rape is 17. A person under the age of 17 is not legally capable of consenting to sexual contact.

Yes. Your parents can legally assert their parental rights and the 21 year old has absolutely no legal ground to stand on. Below are some very general steps. Your parents will have to adapt these to your local procedures as the actual forms and procedures vary from county to county. They will need to ask some questions and be assertive. 1. File a Police Report: Go to the police "in person" and file a report against the 21 year old. 2. Order of Requisition: In order for enforcement to pick up the 14 year old and bring her back to your parents custody, the parents must first file a request and receive an "order of requisition" from the court to have the minor returned to their custody or to the custody of juvenile authorities. When a child leaves voluntarily, they are not considered a missing child as long as someone knows their wereabouts. 3. Order of protection Ask the court clerk, police, or an attorney for the papers and prodedure to petition the court for an order of protection for the minor. This is also known as a restraining order. When an order of protection is granted, no contact can be made legally between them. If contact is made by either person, no matter who initiates it, the 21 year old will be subject to arrest, a court appearence, and jail time. Any person(s) who aids a minor in such circumstances such as allowing them to live in their home, renting them a room, assisting in transportation, etc. can be held criminally and civilly responsible for contributing to the delinquency of said minor. (TS/TFC Title 2) The 21 year old may be surprised to learn that he can go to jail for quite awhile on these charges. Especially if he is a repeat offender. He is potentially violating several laws based on your description. A child younger than age 17: Is not legally capable of giving consent to sexual contact. Is not legally capable of living outside a parents control or custody without their consent or a court order. The 21 year old may be found in violation of the following. (2 are felony offenses).

• § 25.04. ENTICING A CHILD
• § 21.11. INDECENCY WITH A CHILD
• § 25.06. HARBORING RUNAWAY CHILD

§ 25.04. ENTICING A CHILD.

§ 21.11. INDECENCY WITH A CHILD.

(1) engages in sexual contact with the child or causes the child to engage in sexual contact; or

(2) with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person:

(A) exposes the person's anus or any part of the person's genitals, knowing the child is present; or

(B) causes the child to expose the child's anus or any part of the child's genitals.

(1) was not more than three years older than the victim and of the opposite sex;

(2) did not use duress, force, or a threat against the victim at the time of the offense; and

(3) at the time of the offense:

(A) was not required under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, to register for life as a sex offender; or

(B) was not a person who under Chapter 62 had a reportable conviction or adjudication for an offense under this section.

(1) any touching by a person, including touching through clothing, of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a child; or

(2) any touching of any part of the body of a child, including touching through clothing, with the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a person.

§ 25.06. HARBORING RUNAWAY CHILD.

(1) is younger than 18 years; and

(2) has escaped from the custody of a peace officer, a probation officer, the Texas Youth Council, or a detention facility for children, or is voluntarily absent from the child's home without the consent of the child's parent or guardian for a substantial length of time or without the intent to return.

(1) the person or agency from which the child escaped or a law enforcement agency of the presence of the child within 24 hours after discovering that the child had escaped from custody; or

(2) a law enforcement agency or a person at the child's home of the presence of the child within 24 hours after discovering that the child was voluntarily absent from home without the consent of the child's parent or guardian.

§ 151.001. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF PARENT.

(1) the right to have physical possession, to direct the moral and religious training, and to designate the residence of the child;

(2) the duty of care, control, protection, and reasonable discipline of the child;

(3) the duty to support the child, including providing the child with clothing, food, shelter, medical and dental care, and education;

(4) the duty, except when a guardian of the child's estate has been appointed, to manage the estate of the child, including the right as an agent of the child to act in relation to the child's estate if the child's action is required by a state, the United States, or a foreign government;

(5) except as provided by Section 264.0111, the right to the services and earnings of the child;

(6) the right to consent to the child's marriage, enlistment in the armed forces of the United States, medical and dental care, and psychiatric, psychological, and surgical treatment;

(7) the right to represent the child in legal action and to make other decisions of substantial legal significance concerning the child;

(8) the right to receive and give receipt for payments for the support of the child and to hold or disburse funds for the benefit of the child;

(9) the right to inherit from and through the child;

(10) the right to make decisions concerning the child's education; and

(11) any other right or duty existing between a parent and child by virtue of law.

(1) a court order affecting the rights and duties;

(2) an affidavit of relinquishment of parental rights; and

(3) an affidavit by the parent designating another person or agency to act as managing conservator.

(1) a parent or grandparent of the child;

(2) a stepparent of the child who has the duty of control and reasonable discipline of the child; and

(3) an individual who is a guardian of the child and who has the duty of control and reasonable discipline of the child.

This would fall under the guidelines of the hiring contract and the termination policies and practices of a university. They may be well within their right to terminate. To determine if a university is justified in terminating a faculty member, the hiring contract should be reviewed by an attorney, along with the documented reasons for termination and the school hiring policies and practices. There is no way to answer this question "generally" as these contracts and policies vary widely from school to school.

The age of consent in Texas is 17. A prosecutor will look at the ages at the time the act occured, not the ages now. The 17 year old was at the legal age to consent to sexual contact, but the 15 year old was not. The law states that it is an "affirmative defense" to prosecution if the actor (the 17 year old) was not more than 3 years older, and is the opposite sex, and there was no duress or force used. If he is charged for this violation, it would be in his best interests to speak to his attorney about this affirmative defense. (See the laws below, highlighted portion) There are other issues here that are going to show up soon and will require some legal expertise. Establishing paternity, custody and child support to name a few. He has certain rights and responsibilities as the father and should seek legal advice on these matters. They can become quite complex and very messy if the correct steps aren't taken in the beginning. Information On Establishing Paternity From the Texas Attorney General

Texas Penal Code Title 5 § 21.11. INDECENCY WITH A CHILD.

In Texas, a person can no longer be a victim of statutory rape upon turning 17 years of age (Texas Penal code 21.11 Indecency with a child); however, the age of majority in Texas is still 18, so legally she is still a minor under her parents authority. Given her independent living situation and depending on whether she is truly self supported or receiving financial assistance from her parents, she can petition the court for status as an adult. This is not something suitable for all teens, but it can be an appropriate step for some. Something she will need to consider is her relationship with her parents. If the relationship is already strained, taking this type of action could strain it even further, as this can be a very sensitive issue for some parents. Under Texas law she is at the legal age to petition the court for "Removal of Disabilities of a minor" if she is self supporting and living apart from her parents. This essentially is a process that emancipates her from minor status and she is given legal rights and accountability as an adult. You will find the statute on this under the Texas Family code Title 2 Child in Relation to the Family - Chapter 31.001-31.007

Generally, the statute of limitations is 3 years after the commission of the offense; however, the statute of limitations for certain offenses against a minor can be as long as a period of 10 years after the victim reaches the age of 18. These offenses include:

• Chapter 21.11. Indecency with a child
• Chapter 22.011. Sexual assault of a child - intentional or knowing
• Chapter 22.021 Aggravated sexual assault of a child - intentional or knowing .

• At the time of the alleged violation did the parents file a complaint with authorities against the 18 year old?
• Are there any restraining orders in place?
• Is there a warrant or an investigation pending?
• Was this all pre-arranged without intervention from autorities?

No matter how angry you are with your parents, if a restraining order (court order) has been issued by a judge against your boyfriend, DO NOT VIOLATE IT. The fastest way for your boyfriend to end up in jail with charges against him is if the court order is violated. Most orders will prohibit telephone and electronic communication, DO NOT TEXT OR EMAIL HIM. A violation of the order gives the judge grounds to find your boyfriend in contempt and he will likely be incarcerated with a fine. Your boyfriend will have a specific amount of time (usually 30-60 days) to contest the restraining order. The order is in full effect during this time. When he is served, he receives instructions on what actions he can take. If he does not contest the order within the stated period of time, the order will stand until it expires or until it is terminated by the court. Parents are legally responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of their children until they turn 18 years of age. If a parent feels their child is in danger or has been put at risk by another individual, it is their legal right and obligation to take the necessary actions within the law to protect their child. It is not up to your parents to determine whether or not charges are filed against your boyfriend. Your parents ultimately have no control over this. Only a criminal prosecutor can determine if criminal charges will be filed against your boyfriend.

Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 12. Limitations Art. 12.01 FELONIES:

Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 12.02. [181] [229] [219] MISDEMEANORS.

Texas Penal Code Title 5 § 21.11. INDECENCY WITH A CHILD.

Other laws

Criminal Prosecutions Citation: Crim. Proc. Code art. 12.01

• All other sexual assaults
• Injury to a child punishable as a felony of the 1st degree

• Kidnapping
• Injury to a child not punishable as a felony of the 1st degree
• Abandoning or endangering a child

• Indecency with a child
• Intentional or knowing sexual assault of a child
• Intentional or knowing aggravated assault of a child

Civil Actions Citation: Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 16.001; 16.0045

• Sexual assault
• Aggravated sexual assault