...consensual encounter”
Nope. At age 14, she can’t give legal consent and certainly NOT to a male of 18 years in age...
This state allows any female between 14 and 16 to consent to sexual activity to anyone (some exceptions) not more than 4 years older than her. Go figure.
In Maryland, there has to be 4 years between their ages for it to be statutory rape. There was 3 1/2 years between them. That’s what they said on the news this morning, anyway.