Understanding Prostitution Charges in PA: What You Need to Know
The police in the state of Pennsylvania often use undercover operations to crack down on prostitution in known neighborhoods and on websites that sell sex. If you get caught in one of these stings and get a solicitation conviction, a humiliating experience awaits. You not only face arrest, but your name appears in the media, seen by your partner and everyone you know.
If an undercover officer arrests and charges you with promoting prostitution, or buying/selling sex, you need to retain a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer immediately.
Prostitution Laws in Pennsylvania
According to Pennsylvania law, it’s a crime to:
- Offer or solicit sex for money.
- Try to get hired for sexual activity by loitering in a public area or in view of a public area.
- Hire a prostitute.
- Promote prostitution to earn money.
Both hiring a prostitute and prostitution have the same consequences. You get imprisoned for a year for a first or second offense.
If you have AIDS or are HIV positive while committing prostitution, it becomes a third-degree felony with several punishments in store.
Promoting Prostitution
A prostitution charge is possible if you:
- Manage or own a prostitution business.
- Procure an individual to become a prostitute.
- Cause an individual or encourage them to become or stay a prostitute.
- Seek a customer for a prostitute.
- Seek a prostitute for a customer.
- Transport a person across or into PA for prostitution.
- Allow or lease property under your control to be used for prostitution, and you don’t do anything to stop it.
- Live off the prostitution’s proceeds.
- Do any of the above to earn money.
You can be sentenced to up to 3 years of imprisonment if you’re charged with promoting prostitution. You will face more extreme punishment if you encourage the prostitution of someone with HIV/AIDs or a minor.
Charged with Prostitution
Don’t protest the arresting officer without any cause when you’re charged with prostitution. Don’t discuss the events at this stage with the police. Don’t assert your innocence either.
- Similar to other criminal charges, don’t talk to the prosecutors or police without your Pittsburgh criminal lawyer. Your words can be used against you by taking them out of context.
- When the police want to interrogate you, tell them you want your lawyer. Be polite when you refuse to answer their queries.
- If you get caught in a sting, be particularly careful of what you say. There are high chances of an undercover officer recording your words.
Defending the Charges
Your Pittsburgh criminal lawyer will carefully evaluate each aspect of the case to identify if there’s evidence behind the accusation.
- Your lawyer will thoroughly investigate to see if the evidence proves your claims.
- Your lawyer will try to discredit each piece of evidence collected against you.
- Your Pittsburgh criminal lawyer will be looking at all options that can help. So, you must provide them with all the information that supports your case.
Once you’re charged with prostitution, you aren’t just facing a determined prosecutor. You will have the whole community condemning you. Therefore, you need a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer who will stand by you to discredit evidence each step of the way. They will also help you decide on the best course of action.
At Logue Law Group, we’re more than ready to help. So, reach out to us at sean@seanloguelaw.com.