seduction
seduction. The offense that occurs when a man entices a woman of previously chaste character to have unlawful intercourse with him by means of persuasion, solicitation, promises, or bribes, or other means not involving force. • Many states have abolished this offense for persons over the age of legal consent. Traditionally, the parent of a young woman had an action to recover damages for the loss of her services. But in measuring damages, the jury could consider not just the loss of services but also the distress and anxiety that the parent had suffered in being deprived of her comfort and companionship. Though seduction was not a crime at common law, many American states made it a statutory crime until the late 20th century. [Cases: Seduction 29–54.]
