KWI said:
I am sorry but I have to disagree. I think that a man/woman, at the legal age of 18 and above should not be having sex with a minor period.
The way that reads, you have a problem with a 17 year old getting together with an 18 year old. I think there has to be considerable allownace for people to hook up if they are within a few years of each others age.
I agree with you outside that, and suspect that perhaps you didn't mean it quite like that.
As for 14 year olds and 30 year olds... while there might be some very, very unusual cases where it is healthy/normal for the 14 year old, I suspect that the overwhelming number of cases would be exploitative, harmful relationships. The costs to the great many 14 year olds who would be injured simply outweigh the benefits in the few freak instances where it would not be harmful.
Plainly there is no good cutoff year. People mature at different ages, and a freakishly small number of 14 year olds may well mature enough that they are capable of consenting adequately to sex with a 30 year old. However, we have to pick some number, and picking a number like 16 (or even 18 with wide enough "bands" for sex with peers) seems like the best way to get it right most of the time.
It is unclear what great harm befalls a 30 year old if he has to wait 2 years for the 14 year old love of his life to turn 16. I just don't see how anyone is really harmed by having to wait, whereas I see a great many people harmed by allowing predators to go after the majority of 14 year olds who aren't mature enough to fend them off properly.