What Is the Age of Consent? Federal law makes it criminal to engage in a sexual act with another person who is between the age of 12 and 16 if they are at least four years younger than you. Each state takes a different approach as the age of consent has ranged from 10 to 18.

Is there a law against dating minors?

The age of consent in NSW is 16 years. The law says that a person under 16 cannot legally consent to sexual contact, even if they want to. Any sexual contact with someone under 16 is a crime in NSW and the other person can be charged with an offence.