Age of consent is 12 in Mexico; will Raniere get back to man-girl sex?

In Mexico, federal law establishes the age of 12 as the minimum age of consent.

The Mexican age of consent is one of the lowest in the world.

In some cases, state laws can override federal law.  In practice, the decision to prosecute is left to state authorities. At the state level, the minimum ages of consent varies between 12 (and puberty in a few states) and 15. In Nuevo Leon, the age of consent is 14.

This means Keith Raniere can have sex with consenting 14-year-olds – and, frankly, quite probably 12-year-olds also – provided she and her family have no objections.

Keith must ensure that all his Mexican lovers are at least 12 years old to be safe from prosecution.

Article 261 of the Federal Criminal Code (PDF) states that: “Whoever…  performs a sexual act in a person under 12 … will be punished with a term of 2 to 5 years in prison”.

If the offender uses moral or physical violence, an extra half term is added to the initial sentence. In other words, a man who has sex with a six year old might go to prison for two years. But if he forces her, he might go for three years.

Article 266 states that: “It is equivalent to rape and will be punished with the same penalty: (1st Clause) – who without violence performs a copulation with a person under 12”.

Article 266 Bis, determines an extra penalty of up to a half under certain circumstances – (a) when there are multiple offenders; (b) when the offense is committed by a parent, legal guardian, stepfather or “companion” (amasio) of the mother; (c) when there is an abuse of authority of someone as a civil servant; (d) when the crime is committed by a person who has the minor under his or her custody, guard or education, or through the abuse of trust.

A further penalty might accrue if Keith uses his usual deceit to seduce the teen or pre-teen girl.

Article 262: ” Whoever copulates with a person over twelve and under eighteen years old, obtaining his/her consent through deceit”

The biggest worry Raniere would have is this: All Mexican states have corruption of minors statutes that can, upon complaint of the family (or minor), be used to punish sexual relations with persons under eighteen. Although actual prosecutions for violations of Corruption of Minors statutes (and age of consent statutes in general) tend to be rare.

All states have “Estupro” laws that can, upon complaint of the family (or minor), be used to prosecute adults who engage in sexual intercourse with minors by seduction or deceit.

In Mexico, prosecutors usually only prosecute consensual sexual activity involving adults and underage minors upon complaint by the minor, or a custodial complaint.

Article 175 of the Federal District Criminal Code refers to Article 174, which stipulates a term of 6 to 17 years of prison for the rape of adults, while defining copulation as “the introduction of the penis in the human body through the vagina, anus or mouth”.

Article 175 states that: “It is equivalent to rape and will be punished with the same penalty:” (first clause) – “who performs a copulation with a person under 12 years of age;” the second clause defines whosoever “introduces in the vagina or anus any element, instrument or any part of the human body different from the penis” as having committed the same crime, in relation to these same persons.

Article 177 covers “sexual abuse” and punishes other acts referred as “unintentional” acts –”who … performs a sexual act with a person under 12 … [and] will be punished with 2 to 7 years in prison”.

According to Article 178, there is a punishment of an extra two thirds of the term (clause V) when the victim is inside a private vehicle or a public service vehicle and (clause VI) when the crime is committed in a desert or isolated place.

Estupro is stipulated in Article 180. It refers to consensual sex with adolescents aged 12 to 18, when consent is obtained through any means of deceit. The penalty is 6 months to 4 years of prison. This crime needs a complaint to be prosecuted.

Perhaps Keith will select only those girls whose parents offer them to him and sign a confidentiality agreement with proper collateral.

In short, by law, in Mexico, an adult can have sex with a girl (or boy) as young as 12 but the child must understand what he or she is doing.  No trickery or force can be used to induce the consent.  Few appear to be prosecuted in Mexico, according to published reports.

Therefore, it is not unlikely that Keith Raniere will be able to do in Mexico without fear or reprisals what he had to do clandestinely in New York State where the age of consent is 17.

Keith Raniere with the late Pamela Cafritz. She used to procure teens and preteens for him to have sex with using deceit and trickery. Now that she is gone, Keith has gone down to Mexico where the age of consent is 12. While it is widely assumed that Raniere fled the USA to try to escape federal prosecution, is it possible that he also went for sex tourism, denied to him in New York State now that his pimp woman is dead?

Of course it could be a mere killing of two birds with one stone that brings Raniere down to Mexicio: A chance to let others take the fall in New York while he enjoys raping little girls with impunity.

A number of his followers in Mexico have girls between the ages of 12 and 16, which is ripe for perv Raniere to be sure.

Frank Parlato