There's nothing perverted about being in a consensual relationship with someone who has reached sexual maturity. Pursuing someone not interested? After a certain point, yes.
Know who feels the opposite? Unattractive people who can't do better. Ugly women and men who can't do better than ugly women. Recognize that we're not talking about the expectation that they're going to have a child together, but even then, if the older spouse has the money to finance a child through their needs, even if that is from life insurance it can work fine. It's not ideal, but most relationships aren't.
At the same time, there's the law, and liberals like to refuse to accept law when it comes to things like illegal immigrants, but it's still the law, so do prosecute for this offense.
The other factor is motives. If you are puritanical and want to look down upon a relationship that is purely sexual, there's that. It would not be reasonable to expect that an adult of his age, has anything in common with a 17 year old, or even 20 year old, besides sex vs status or money.
Even so, what business is it of ours except for being a year under age? That year makes all the difference in being illegal, but as far as being perverted, you have no clue what perverted is, if both parties agree to it. Perverted is about unacceptable behavior and the only two parties that have to accept it are those two involved in it, again, aside from the illegality of being a minor which should be prosecuted because laws exist for reasons and we should not selectively ignore breaking them.