Law on sex with minors
Part of the Crime topic
Understand the law on sex offences with minors in Queensland.
In short
These laws and rules apply to adults in positions of authority over young people aged 16 to 17 in Queensland.
Use these rules to understand:
- penalties for engaging in sexual activity with a young person under your care or supervision.
- exceptions to this offence.
From 20 September 2025, it’s illegal for an adult in a position of authority to engage in sexual activity with a person aged 16–17 under Schedule 1 of the Criminal Code Act 1899. There are serious consequences to breaking the law. Penalties include up to 14 years in prison for a single offence and life imprisonment for repeated offences.
The changes were introduced to protect young people and close gaps in the law, making Queensland the same as other states and territories. The reforms were based on recommendations from the:
- Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
- Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce.
You must
To comply with the law in Queensland you must:
- Understand that claims of consent from the young person does not make the conduct lawful.
You cannot
To comply with the law in Queensland you cannot:
- Engage in sexual activity with a person aged 16–17 if you’re in a position of authority over them.
- Claim that a young person consented as a defence for engaging in sexual activity.
- Exploit your position of authority over a young person for sexual purposes.
- Engage in online exploitation of a young person, even if there is no physical contact.
Exceptions and special circumstances
You can engage in a lawful relationship with a person aged 16–17 if you are in a position of authority over them, only when:
- You’re lawfully married to them.
- The relationship qualifies under close-in-age defences.
- You reasonably believed the young person was 18 years or older.