Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-28162607-20170103120839/@comment-25926288-20170105040749

Nightlily wrote:

CoolDudeAl wrote:

People have pointed this out already, but Neal didn't statuatory rape Emma, as they were in a state where 17 is the legal age to have sex. I'm not going into to enter into the debate about statutory rape, but I thought the age of consent in Oregon was 18, not 17? Age of consent is 18 in Oregon.

Nevertheless, this "other" debate is quite weird. In terms of story, Emma was raised in Minnesota for 16+ years, then ran off for about a year, then met Neal. Should we based what Neal did as wrong when I doubt Neal or Emma even knew the difference in age of consent? Emma was 17. If it went to court, sure Neal would be in the wrong, but painting him as some child predator is wrong. Neal could be 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Pick any number and by legal standpoints and he's in the wrong. (To not draw any correlation, but Regina, Rumple, and Hook are all mass murderers, but this isn't used to present them as soiciopathic monsters.)

Still, Emma was 17. That's the answer to the OP's question.