16 is the age of consent in AR provided the 20 year old is not a:
cop;
teacher;
lawyer;
doctor;
pastor; or
basically anyone who is in a position of authority over the 17 year old. Gender does not matter by the way. At age 18, any major concern goes away.
Many lawyers would ask why a 20 year old is seeing a 17 year old if there was no sex. Either way, it is doubtful the father of the 17 year old would understand. Please note that this answer does not include every issue regarding your question. There are circumstances that could put the 20 year old in jail; for instance, what if the 17 year old has some mental illness issues? There is not enough information provide to fully answer this question. Wait until the 17 year old is 18.
yes
