Statutes governing Oregons age of consent, associated criminal charges, available defenses, and penalties for conviction. In Oregon, it is illegal for an adult (someone 18 or older) to have sex with a minor (someone younger than 18), even if the sex is consensual. Those who break the law have committed statutory rape.

Is the Romeo and Juliet law in Oregon?

In Oregon, there is a Romeo and Juliet exemption that protects from prosecution consensual sex between two minors who are younger than 18 and fewer than three years apart in age. However, sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 is always a serious crime, no matter the age of the defendant.