State v. Bowman

The statutory felony of obtaining carnal knowledge of virtuous girls between twelve and sixteen years old is created by the following portion of the statute now codified as Gr.S. 14-26: “If any male person shall carnally know or abuse any female child, over twelve and under sixteen years of age, who has never before had sexual intercourse with any person, he shall be guilty of a felony and shall be fined or imprisoned in the discretion of the court.” This enactment is designed to protect chaste girls between the specified ages from predatory males who would rob them of their virtue.

Three…