Legal Definition and Related Resources of Seduction

Wrongfully inducing a woman to consent to sexual intercourse; persuading a female by flattery , deception, or artifice to surrender her chastity. See Herschy v Coodley, 116 CaI.App.2d 102, 253 P.2d93. Occasionally the term is used with reference to a woman enticing a man to commit sexual intercourse. See Blount v state , 102 Fla. 1100, 138 So. 2. Although seduction was not a crime at common law , in manyjurisdictions, statutes make it so. See 18 U.S.C.S. §2198.

As a Tort. At common law, the act of a man in inducing a woman to have unlawful sexual intercourse with him. The use of seductive arts was not essential. The woman herself had no action for damages except in case of a breach of a marriage promise, the only civil remedy being that of her parent, based on loss of services. 89 111. 543; 49 Mich. 540. By statute in many states, the woman has the right to sue in her own name, but such statutes generally provide that the seduction must be under promise of marriage, or by seductive arts and devices. As a Crime. The crime is statutory, and consists generally in inducing an unmarried female of previous chaste character to submit to sexual intercourse by promise of marriage, or, in some states, by other seductive means. “The exact amount or what kind of seductive art is necessary to establish the offense cannot be defined. Every case must stand on its own peculiar circumstances, together with the condition in life, advantages, age, and intelligence of the parties.” 32 Iowa, 262. The intercourse must be accomplished by artifice and deception, and not by a yielding of the woman from mere lust. 79 Ala. 14. Where a promise of marriage is required, it need not be valid, if it is believed by the woman to be so. 26 N. Y. 203. The woman must be induced by the promise to submit. 108 Ind. 406. “No one can contend with any degree of plausibility that a virtuous female can be seduced without any of those arts, wiles, and blandishments so necessary to win the hearts of the weaker sex. To say that such a one was seduced by simply a blunt oflFer of wedlock in futuro, in exchange for sexual favors in presenti is an announcement that smacks too much of a bargain and barter, and not enough of betrayal. This is hire or salary, not seduction.” 97 Mo. 668.

noun

• allure
• allurement
• attraction
• bait
• bewitchment
• blandishment
• cajolery
• captivation
• coaxing
• corruptela
• corruption
• defilement
• enchantment
• enticement
• fascination
• inducement
• inveiglement
• invitation
• lure
• persuasion
• seducement
• solicitation
• stuprum
• tantalization
• temptation

Browse or run a search for Seduction in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Seduction in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Seduction in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Seduction in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

You might be also interested in these legal terms:

Browse

You might be interested in these references tools:

This definition of Seduction is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This entry needs to be proofread.

Vocabularies (Semantic Web Information)

<

Seduction in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of seduction.

Resources

See Also

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Police
• Law Enforcement Agency

Further Reading

• seduction in A Dictionary of Law Enforcement (Oxford University Press)
• seduction in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
• A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis