The sexual health charity fpa said the law was "confusing and damaging" in the way that it could make all consenting sexual activity between young people, including touching through clothes, a criminal offence.
But the NSPCC said that teenagers experimented with sexual activity "and that children can and do coerce and abuse other children - laws need to be in place to protect children from sex abusers of any age".
The law, said to be the most radical reform of sex offences for a century, lists sex crimes against children, including new offences such as "grooming". Under-18s can be prosecuted for them, but with lower penalties.
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