Rhode Island law defines third-degree sexual assault (commonly called statutory rape) as sexual conduct with a victim who is 14 or 15 years old by an actor 18 or older. The age of consent in Rhode Island is generally 16. Consent is not a defense to statutory rape charges because Rhode Island law treats minors under the age of consent as legally incapable of consenting. Penalties include up to 5 years in state prison and sex offender registration. Defense work in statutory rape cases sometimes focuses on contesting the actor's knowledge of the victim's age or challenging the sexual conduct element.
