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Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1 (2026)

 Statutory sexual assault.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 3122.1.  Statutory sexual assault.

(a)  Felony of the second degree.--Except as provided in section 3121 (relating to rape), a person commits a felony of the second degree when that person engages in sexual intercourse with a complainant to whom the person is not married who is under the age of 16 years and that person is either:

(1)  four years older but less than eight years older than the complainant; or

(2)  eight years older but less than 11 years older than the complainant.

(b)  Felony of the first degree.--A person commits a felony of the first degree when that person engages in sexual intercourse with a complainant under the age of 16 years and that person is 11 or more years older than the complainant and the complainant and the person are not married to each other.

(Mar. 31, 1995, 1st Sp.Sess., P.L.985, No.10, eff. 60 days; Dec. 20, 2011, P.L.446, No.111, eff. 60 days)

 

Cross References.  Section 3122.1 is referred to in sections 3124.2, 3124.3, 3125, 3141, 9122, 9158 of this title; sections 4321, 5329, 6303, 6344 of Title 23 (Domestic Relations); sections 5551, 5552, 6302, 9799.14, 9802 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure); section 6139 of Title 61 (Prisons and Parole).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 232 cases (54 in the last 5 years), 1996–2026 · leading case: Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Shower, W., 147 A.3d 517 (Pa. 2016).
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Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Shower, W., 147 A.3d 517 (Pa. 2016). · cites it 3× “Hainesworth The Commonwealth charged Hainesworth with three counts of statutory sexual assault, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1; two counts of aggravated indecent assault, 18 Pa.”
United States v. Faustino Gomez, 757 F.3d 885 (9th Cir. 2014). · cites it 4× “21, § 1114 (A)(1); 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 3122.1(a); R.I.”
United States v. Michael Begin, 696 F.3d 405 (3rd Cir. 2012). · cites it 4× “§ 2422 (b) by using the internet and a cellular phone to attempt to persuade a minor “to engage in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, to wit, statutory sexual assault, in violation of [ 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1 ], aggravated…”
Commonwealth v. Dillon, 925 A.2d 131 (Pa. 2007). · cites it 2× “[6] 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1. [7] 18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.”
Com. v. Bankes, A., 286 A.3d 1302 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). · cites it 2× “5 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1(b). 6Appellant was 28 years old at the time of the hearing.”
Esquivel-Quintana v. Sessions, 137 S. Ct. 1562 (2017). “119 Pennsylvania 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1 , added by 1995 Pa.”
Commonwealth v. Hainesworth, 82 A.3d 444 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2013). · cites it 2× “On January 26, 2009, Hainesworth was charged as follows: three counts of statutory sexual assault, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1; two counts of aggravated indecent assault, 18 Pa.”
A.S. v. Pennsylvania State Police, 143 A.3d 896 (Pa. 2016). “The age of consent in Pennsylvania is sixteen, see 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1; thus, the consensual sexual relationship itself was not criminal.”
Commonwealth v. Albert, 758 A.2d 1149 (Pa. 2000). · cites it 3× “At that time, the trial court arrested judgment on the following four counts: statutory sexual assault, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, 18 Pa.”
Commonwealth v. Morgan, 913 A.2d 906 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2006). · cites it 2× “§ 3123; statutory sexual assault, 18 Pa. C.S. § 3122.1; corruption of a minor, 18 Pa.”
Commonwealth v. Jones, 912 A.2d 815 (Pa. 2006). · cites it 2× “[13] 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1. [14] Gatling was decided by six Justices.”
United States v. Broxmeyer, 699 F.3d 265 (2d Cir. 2012). “See 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1 . All the more curious to reach that substantive reasonableness conclusion with respect to a defendant in the United States communicating electronically with a 14-year-old in Brazil or a 13-year-old in Vietnam in order to produce child pornography…”
Show all 232 citing cases →
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1(a) — 14 cases
United States v. Faustino Gomez, 757 F.3d 885 (9th Cir. 2014). “21, § 1114 (A)(1); 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 3122.1(a); R.I.”
Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Shower, W., 147 A.3d 517 (Pa. 2016). “Hainesworth The Commonwealth charged Hainesworth with three counts of statutory sexual assault, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1; two counts of aggravated indecent assault, 18 Pa.”
Com. v. Higginbotham, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2016).
Com. v. Schade, B. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2016).
Com. v. Bortz, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1(a)(1) — 21 cases
Commonwealth v. Hainesworth, 82 A.3d 444 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2013). “On January 26, 2009, Hainesworth was charged as follows: three counts of statutory sexual assault, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1; two counts of aggravated indecent assault, 18 Pa.”
Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Stotelmyer, D., 110 A.3d 146 (Pa. 2015).
Commonwealth v. Kenney, 210 A.3d 1077 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019).
Commonwealth v. Price, 189 A.3d 423 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
Com. v. Obert, T. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1(a)(2) — 9 cases
Commonwealth v. Muniz, J., Aplt., 164 A.3d 1189 (Pa. 2017).
K.D. Rockstaschel v. Com. of PA (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2015).
Com. v. Leger, K. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
Com. v. Castro, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019).
Com. v. Grubbs, R. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3122.1(b) — 69 cases
Com. v. Bankes, A., 286 A.3d 1302 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022). “5 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1(b). 6Appellant was 28 years old at the time of the hearing.”
Commonwealth v. McCauley, 199 A.3d 947 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
United States v. Faustino Gomez, 757 F.3d 885 (9th Cir. 2014). “21, § 1114 (A)(1); 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 3122.1(a); R.I.”
Commonwealth v. Lutz-Morrison, T., Aplt., 143 A.3d 891 (Pa. 2016).
M.S. v. Pa. State Police, 212 A.3d 1142 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2019).
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