That seems to be the informal consensus. Every time one of those "Hot Teacher" stories pops up, all I hear is "dayum!!...wish I'd had a teacher like that"..
What your really trying to say is that the law doesn't account for how teenagers are nowadays. When the laws were created, they were created along the lines that 13,14,15, year olds weren't out having sex, sexting, and doing all repeatedly with various partners. Its hard to present a statutory rape case to a jury when defense counsels put the "victims" previous partners on parade on the witness stand and at about the 50th person, the prosecution has a stupid look on their face, and the parents are desensitized to whats really been going on. The jury comes up with a not guilty finding, not only on the facts of the case but their own experiences as well. When the jury pool contains people who attended parties as a kid where ages 14 to 26 were all in attendance and saw what goes on there, everyone understands the rule is as long as you can hold your liquor, your old enough to drink. If you want a cigarette or happen to mess with someone there, it is what it is. Jury nullification is the term your looking for.
The second problem is the hodge podge of laws that change from state to state as far as age of consent is concerned. Miley Cyrus and the like have been twerking their azz up on stage since they were young teenagers, since they were 13/14, and that type of culture perpetuates what you see in youth today. So its ok to have sex at 14 in one state, but its 18 and a felony in another? Theres no standardization, whatsoever. I think people become upset when they find out that "coach" is banging their 15 year old daughter, but if you think that coach is the first and only your probably mistaken. The laws in some states don't account for certain things such as a 20 year old in high school as a junior, or a senior and freshmen started dating and the senior turned 18. Many turn to the argument of if it was a 22 year old and a 26 year old, why is it an issue when its an 18 and 14 year old, attending the same school? The laws failed to account for when that 18 year old turns 19 and gets hired as a substitute teacher and is still dating that 15 or 16 year old?
While most would agree that there is such a thing as child molestation, and that anyone who's not in high school shouldn't be sexually active, the reality is, that those who are in high school are most likely having sexual contact whether you'd like to admit it or not, possibly in school or after school, and probably with more than one person in that time frame. Its also likely that the person they are having relations with is older, possibly much older than the other party. Its a hard pill to swallow for some people. Teenagers having sex in high school doesn't amount to statutory rape, or child molestation. Thats the reality.
I think the reason that theres a change of view is because people want to be protective of women and their reputations. The problem is that most women aren't protective of their own reputations and neither are most men. The law is attempting to protect reputations in a day and age where reputations for the most part aren't held in high regard. Men aren't refusing to marry non virgins and women are the same. Its a different world we live in now. Its a matter of time before the laws catch up with where things are today. It wasn't that long ago that Virginia took their law against cohabitation off of the books, as no one was being prosecuted for it. Maryland no longer has sodomy laws on the books and the gays can now all get married and do it legally. It is what it is.
What one has to look at is when a person is an adult in these arguments. I personally take issue with how the law determines one to be an adult. At 14 in some states you can be punished as an adult, tried and convicted as an adult, and even put to death as an adult, but do not get to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as an adult? Look at the drinking age. We are a country that sends young men and women off to war, but they fight for a country they can't even drink a glass of wine in? When I was in the military I can say that this personally made me angry at the laws of the United States. I can own a shotgun or rifle at 18, but cannot purchase a handgun until im 21? Whats the difference one should ask? The problem here is the laws on the books, that do not make any sense.
