8.186 Sexual Exploitation of a Child-Defense of Reasonable Belief of Age is a defense available to an accused in Washington state who is charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child. The defense is available when the accused can show that they had a reasonable belief that the person they are accused of exploiting was over the age of 18. The accused must be able to prove that they made a reasonable effort to verify the age of the alleged victim. If the accused can show that they had a reasonable belief that the alleged victim was of age, then they are not criminally liable. This defense is also known as the “Romeo and Juliet” defense, due to its similarities with the classic story of two teens in love. This defense is also sometimes referred to as the “Good Faith” defense.