It is indeed a double edged sword...

...to conclude who has it tougher in today's society, pedos or hebes. As Sigma said, the law doesn't distinguish between teens and children when the former are under 18. Also, people tend to bat more eyes at you for spending time alone with teens, as Cuteness mentioned, because society grudgingly accepts the fact that they are sexual beings; it's just believed that they should suppress their sexuality as much as possible. So I am not sure if it's easier for an adult man to be friends with a teen girl than it is for an adult man to be friends with a little girl. I think both pedos and hebes have their own unique set of difficulties, but both are equally expected to dislike spending time with anyone too much below their age group, otherwise people get suspicious or find it "strange."

Little girls may be on a tighter leash than teen girls, but try finding many people who won't look askance at an adult man spending time alone with a teen girl whom he is not related to, or if he doesn't know her parents really well.