Indianapolis, Indiana – A proposed bill moving through the Indiana Statehouse could bring significant changes to how the state handles age of consent laws, with lawmakers saying the goal is simple: better protection for minors. The legislation, authored by State Senator Mike Bohacek, aims to address what he sees as gaps in current law that may leave young people vulnerable to exploitation.
Under the proposal, it would become a criminal offense for anyone over the age of 25 to engage in sexual conduct with a minor. Senator Bohacek says the idea behind the bill was shaped by recent national attention on high-profile abuse cases, including the release of the Epstein files, which renewed conversations about how predators target young victims and avoid accountability.
According to Bohacek, the bill is designed to give families more legal tools to step in before harm occurs. “We’re just trying to protect our children and give our our parents, you know, a you an ability to intervene, and what could be a predatory relationship. And I believe that if you have somebody that’s 28-29 years old or older, getting involved with a 16 or 17 year old that is, just at its face, a predatory relationship,” Bohacek said.
Indiana’s current age of consent laws have remained largely unchanged for years, and Bohacek argues that social realities have shifted. He said the age limits outlined in the bill were carefully selected to avoid unintended consequences, particularly for young people close in age who may be in school or early adulthood.
The senator explained that the seven-year gap above the state’s current age of consent was chosen intentionally. “Seven, to me, just if you think about it, if you’ve got a 17 year old that goes to college, you know, I don’t think you’re going to have an underclassmen that’s over 24 so, and certainly, anybody over there that should know better. So that’s kind of why we’re we, you know, I kind of settle in seven years,” Bohacek said.
Supporters of the bill say the approach attempts to strike a balance between protecting minors and ensuring the law does not unfairly criminalize young adults in similar age groups. By setting a clear age threshold, they argue, the bill targets situations where power imbalances and manipulation are more likely to exist.
Another key element of the proposal is its focus on modern forms of abuse. Bohacek noted that technology has changed how predators operate, with online platforms increasingly used to groom and exploit victims. The bill includes provisions that allow for penalties when sexual assault or exploitation occurs through digital means.
“In many cases, these folks that are committing these assaults have a history of doing it. So that’s why we made it a sentencing aggravator. So if the judge if facts came out during the trial that showed that perhaps this has been a pattern of behavior, although unreported, then the judge can use that as an aggravator,” Bohacek said.
The inclusion of sentencing aggravators would give judges more discretion during sentencing, especially in cases where evidence suggests repeated or ongoing behavior, even if earlier incidents were never formally reported.
The bill is now awaiting discussion in the Indiana State Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law. If advanced, it would move through additional legislative steps before potentially becoming law. As debate continues, the proposal is expected to generate discussion among lawmakers, parents, educators, and advocacy groups about how best to protect young people while keeping state laws fair and effective.
For now, Bohacek says his focus remains on prevention and protection, emphasizing that the legislation is meant to stop harmful situations before they escalate and to ensure Indiana’s laws reflect the realities children and families face today.
