A few years back, I was an alternate juror on a criminal trial - an adult male was charged with having sexual contact with an underage female. Both parties agreed that the unfortunate gentleman did NOT know the young lady was a minor: she had repeatedly told him she was an adult student at the college campus where they met.
Both parties also offered similar descriptions of the gentleman's reaction, when the young lady finally admitted she was a juvenile, and still attending the local high school: he jumped to his feet, and ran from the residence, literally screaming in terror. He was nevertheless being prosecuted by the State for sexual contact with a minor.
I am quite certain that defendent was not the first - or the last - man to have unknowingly had a relationship with an underage female. And given that even obvious and undeniable ignorance is apparently no defence in a court of law, any such relationship (or even an unsubstantiated claim regarding such a relationship) might be a useful tool to a blackmailer or extortionist...
That maybe true, but a U.S. Congressman should always perform a background check on any relationship. What if a prospective woman is a Democrat?
In general, ignorance of the girl’s age is not a defense to statutory-rape laws. But presumably Gaetz would be prosecuted under the federal Mann Act (transporting females across state lines for illicit sex), and I guess that it’s possible that there could be a mens rea defense to the federal charge (even if there would not be one under the underlying crime).
Gaetz claims that there is no 17-year-old girl, and that he paid for a flight fir someone of legal age. If the girl was 18 and the age of consent in all states in which she traveled was 18 or less, then the feds have no case. I just hope that his answer was straightforward and not Clintonesque, because if the girl was 17 when he “dated” her and he says “well, yes, she was 17 back then, but she turned 18 the day before I said “there is no 17-year-old girl,” so it depends on what the definition of “is” is,” then I’ll never forgive him.