Original sentence: Laws vary widely in their definitions of statutory rape; some states make exceptions when the older person is also young or of a similar age, or if he or she marries the minor before the act of sexual intercourse or before being convicted of the crime.National and regional governments in many places consider people under a certain age to be unable to give consent, and therefore considers any sex with them to be rape.Sex which violates age-of-consent law but is neither violent nor physically coerced is described as statutory rape, usually a legally-recognized category.Statutory rape therefore refers to the crime of sexual intercourse with someone under their area's age of consent but older than the maximum age for the act to be considered child molestation.The age at which individuals are considered competent to give consent is the age of consent, set differently by each American state but usually between 13 and 18.The state declares that children under a certain age are not able to give informed consent, citing an interest in protecting minors.Thus even if a person under the age of consent for their area agrees to sexual activity, it is still considered legally to be rape
Edited sentence: Because the state has an interest in protecting minors, it declares that children under a certain age are not able to give informed consent.Laws vary widely in their definitions of statutory rape; some states make exceptions when the perpetrator is also young or of a similar age, or if he or she marries the minor before the act of sexual intercourse or before being convicted of the crime.Rape that violates age-of-consent law but is neither violent nor physically coerced is described as statutory rape, usually a legally-recognized category.Some individuals, such as minors and the incapacitated, are considered unable to give consent, and therefore to have sex with them is always rape.Statutory rape therefore refers to the crime of sexual intercourse with someone under the age of consent but older than the maximum age for the act to be considered child molestation.The age at which individuals are considered competent to give consent is the age of consent, set differently by each state but usually between 13 and 18.Thus even if a minor agrees to sexual activity, it is still considered legally to be rape