SHOWBIZ
Spears' Boyfriend Could Face Statutory Rape Charges
2007-12-21 05:01am
The boyfriend of Jamie Spears, the 16-year-old sister of pop diva Brittney Spears, could face up to 10 years in prison for statutory rape following an admission by Ms. Spears earlier this week that she was pregnant with his child.
Ms. Spears said Monday she and boyfriend Casey Aldridge, 19, had been dating for some time. She revealed the pregnancy in an interview with an entertainment magazine, she said.
Fox News reported that the act occurred in her home state of Louisiana, where it could be considered "felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile."
Louisiana law defines this unlawful carnal knowledge as "sexual intercourse with consent between someone age 19 or older and someone between age 12 and 17."
In Louisiana a person can only legally consent to sex at age 17. If aged 15 or 16, the other person involved must be no more than two years older for the act to be considered legal.
Ms. Spears stars in the Nickelodeon series "Zoey 101."
(c) 2007 Newsroom.