Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-63 (2026)

Carnal knowledge of child between thirteen and fifteen years of age

✓ current as of May 2026

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A. If any person carnally knows, without the use of force, a child thirteen years of age or older but under fifteen years of age, such person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

B. If any person carnally knows, without the use of force, a child thirteen years of age or older but under fifteen years of age who consents to sexual intercourse and the accused is a minor and such consenting child is three years or more the accused's junior, the accused shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony. If such consenting child is less than three years the accused's junior, the accused shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.

In calculating whether such child is three years or more a junior of the accused minor, the actual dates of birth of the child and the accused, respectively, shall be used.

C. For the purposes of this section, (i) a child under the age of thirteen years shall not be considered a consenting child and (ii) "carnal knowledge" includes the acts of sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anilingus, anal intercourse, and animate and inanimate object sexual penetration.

Code 1950, § 18.1-44; 1960, c. 358; 1972, c. 394; 1975, cc. 14, 15, 606; 1981, c. 397; 1993, c. 852; 2007, c. 718.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 97 cases (15 in the last 5 years), 1988–2026 · leading case: Ragsdale v. Commonwealth, 565 S.E.2d 331 (Va. Ct. App. 2002).

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Ragsdale v. Commonwealth, 565 S.E.2d 331 (Va. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 46× “Richard Lee Ragsdale appeals his conviction, after a bench trial, for carnal knowledge of a minor, in violation of Code § 18.2-63. Ragsdale contends the trial court erred in refusing to grant his motion to dismiss on the grounds the charge violated his right against double…”

Joseph Louis Paduano v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 766 S.E.2d 745 (Va. Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 40× “Code § 18.2-63.... The grand jury further charged: Between April 8, 2012 and April 14, 2012, .”

Ashby v. Commonwealth, 535 S.E.2d 182 (Va. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 16× “Jerry Lee Ashby (appellant)- appeals from his jury trial convictions for three counts of carnal knowledge of a minor and two counts of attempted carnal knowledge of a minor in violation of Code § 18.2-63. On appeal, he contends the trial court erroneously concluded (1) that he…”

Shull v. Commonwealth, 431 S.E.2d 924 (Va. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 26× “Shull (Shull) challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting her conviction for having carnal knowledge of a male child under fifteen years of age (the minor) in violation of Code § 18.2-63. The sole issue on appeal is whether the act of oral sodomy constitutes “carnal…”

Terry v. Commonwealth, 516 S.E.2d 233 (Va. Ct. App. 1999). · cites it 22× “Terry pled guilty to one count of felony carnal knowledge of a child, a violation of Code § 18.2-63. The trial judge imposed a sentence of ten years, with eight years suspended.”

McBride v. Commonwealth, 605 S.E.2d 773 (Va. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 12× “John David McBride appeals from two jury verdicts convicting him of carnal knowledge of a child by sexual intercourse in violation of Code § 18.2-63 and of carnal knowledge of a child by fellatio in violation of Code § 18.”

United States v. Vann, 660 F.3d 771 (4th Cir. 2011). · cites it 4× “2009) (alteration in original) (quoting Va.Code Ann. § 18.2-63). In Thornton , the government maintained that all violations *780 of the Virginia statute were, similar to the enumerated offenses of § 924(e)(2)(B)(ii), necessarily purposeful, creating a serious risk of…”

Justo Mazariegos Campos v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 800 S.E.2d 174 (Va. Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 2× “3(A)(3); carnal knowledge of a child, in violation of Code § 18.2-63; taking indecent liberties with a child, in violation of Code § 18.”

Welch v. Commonwealth, 628 S.E.2d 340 (Va. 2006). · cites it 6× “and a 14-year-old girl is sufficient to support his conviction under Code § 18.2-63 for carnal knowledge of a child.”

McDonald v. Commonwealth, 630 S.E.2d 754 (Va. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 8× “Code § 18.2-63 prohibits the “carnal knowledge” of a child either thirteen or fourteen years old.”

United States v. Thornton, 554 F.3d 443 (4th Cir. 2009). · cites it 3× “The district court also held that statutory rape, as defined by Va.Code § 18.2-63, constituted a violent felony because the risk of STDs and pregnancy created a serious potential risk of physical injury.”

John Doe v. Gary Settle, 24 F.4th 932 (4th Cir. 2022). · cites it 2× “Jury Instruction § 88:15 (“Even if the defendant did not know her actual age, for any reason at all, that is not a defense to [Va. Code § 18.2-63].”). For the second possible mental-state difference, the indecent liberties statute requires “lascivious intent,” but the carnal…”

Show all 97 citing cases →

— Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-63(A) — 8 cases

Joseph Louis Paduano v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 766 S.E.2d 745 (Va. Ct. App. 2014). “Code § 18.2-63.... The grand jury further charged: Between April 8, 2012 and April 14, 2012, .”

United States v. White, 571 F.3d 365 (4th Cir. 2009).

Lewis v. Long, 550 B.R. 294 (W.D. Va. 2016).

Jones v. Buckingham Dep't of Corr., Commonwealth of Virginia (W.D. Va. 2025).

Letonya Leshelle Roane v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023).

— Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-63(B) — 3 cases

United States v. Vann, 620 F.3d 431 (4th Cir. 2010).

Terrence D'Juan Blackwell v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2021).

Antonio Wright v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2019).

— Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-63(C) — 3 cases

Joseph Louis Paduano v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 766 S.E.2d 745 (Va. Ct. App. 2014). “Code § 18.2-63.... The grand jury further charged: Between April 8, 2012 and April 14, 2012, .”

Terrence D'Juan Blackwell v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2021).

Stephen M. Blanton v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2009).

— Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-63(C)(ii) — 1 case

Joseph Louis Paduano v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 766 S.E.2d 745 (Va. Ct. App. 2014). “Code § 18.2-63.... The grand jury further charged: Between April 8, 2012 and April 14, 2012, .”

— Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-63(a) — 1 case

Lewis v. Long, 521 B.R. 745 (Bankr. W.D. Va. 2014).

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