Federal law
The Federal government has a legal age of consent of 18. This law applies to any actions that take place between different states or on federal property. This makes it a crime to use any form of communication between states to try to get a minor to have sex with an adult. Even if the minor and adult are in the same state, if the communication leaves the state, it is a crime. For example, if both people live in the same state and use an instant messaging program to communicate. If the server used for the communication is in another state, this is a crime.
It is also a crime for a minor to be taken to a different state to have sex. This could happen if the 16 year old lived in a state that had an age of consent of 18 but travelled to a state where the age limit was 16. If the adult travels to a different state or a different country to have sex with a minor, this is only a federal crime if the minor is under the age of 16. It may still be a local crime if the minor was under the age of consent of the state or nation where the sex happened but it is not a federal crime.
Each US state has its own age of consent. State laws set the age of consent at 16, 17 or 18. The most common age is 16.[2]
age of consent 16 (30): Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia
age of consent 17 (9): Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Wyoming
age of consent 18 (12): Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania1
1: In Pennsylvania, the age of consent is 16. If the minor is under the age of 18, the adult can be charged with "Coruption of a Minor". This is a misdemeanor. [3]. If the adult is in a position of power (teacher, clergy, or Police for example), this is a felony[4]. Even though the age of consent is 16, it is still a crime until the age of 18. Becase of this, Pennsylvania is normally listed as if it had an age of consent of 18.
Some states have exceptions to the law for people below the age of consent if their partner's age is within a specific range. This range is often between 2 and 4 years. Some states allow minors who are below the age of consent to consent to sex with their spouses if they are married, but not to anyone else.