soliciation on line against the law?

[Guest savannahscort]

i recently was chattin on line with a potential client, for a good 30 minutes, eventually he asked me for a rate for oral, i gave him a rate.

he then identified himself as a local police officer and advised he had traced my line and would see me soon. we never met or exchanged any money. did i really break the law? are there laws about solicitation on the internet?

 

if anyone knows if i have or have not actually broken a law i would appreciate knowing.

[Guest Sean]

By agreeing to perform a sexual act for money on the Internet or in person is against the law.

[Guest Merlin]

The incident sounds like a hoax. I think it is very unlikely that an actual police office would announce his status on the phone. If he intended to make an arrest, he would arrange an actual meeting.

[Traveller]

Ditto.

 

Later.

[Michael]

>By agreeing to perform a sexual act for money on the

>Internet or in person is against the law.

 

Now just exactly *what* law would that be ...

 

I am not a lawyer, but I believe that a lot would depend upon exactly *where* both parties were and what jurisdiction applied.

 

If, for example, I am in Amsterdam and I am chatting online with an escort who is also in Amsterdam I really don't see a problem.

 

In this case, however, you can be pretty certain that it was just a hoax.

[Guest Sean]

Michael, "THAT" law would be Prostitution. I was assuming that this Escort was talking about the good ole USA. In which case what he did was against the law! OF course it was a hoax, no cop would reveal himself to you online, even if asked a cop does not have to reveal that he or she is a member of law enforcement if they feel that you are about to commit a crime. Furthermore they would have a very difficult time proving that "you" were the one typing. If that were a true setup they would have arranged a meeting to bust the guy.

[Matt_Vancouver]

Ok as far as I know, even if this was for real you didn't break any laws.

Prostitution is illegal only in the sense that communicating in a public place, a monetary exchange for sexual favours, is illegal. This is the case in Canada, I'm assuming that there are similar loopholes in the American laws.

The internet, or a phone for that matter is not a public place.

Would be nice to hear from someone who actually knows the laws, but in my understanding, you where above board.

Matt in Vancouver

[Bilbo]

I am a bit afraid that the laws in some parts of the US are a bit more archaic than the ones in Canada. When I was arrested, the policeman guided me into saying things in person I had already said on the phone, so maybe you are allowed to say them on the phone, but my feeling is that that is not the case.

At any rate, it would seem that a motel room with only the two of you present in the room is a public enough place to bother the law aunties if that is indeed our local law.

[Guest Sean]

Bilbo, I was arrested also last summer in NYC and they to were very "clever" in the way that they got me to say I would do something for money. I had my auto response on that day and the cop IM'ed me. He received a message in my auto response with my web link. The phone rang at 3pm on July 13th, the voice on the other end was very soft. The man explained that he was in town on business from MN. He asked if I would be available at 7pm that evening. I said sure. Nothing was discussed as to what would take place at that time. I called my driver at 5 pm, he brought the car around. I stopped at Stella's to meet my friend Tom for a drink. I arrived on time at 7 pm. I entered the room. The man was about 40 45 years old. The room was set up just like a businessman visiting. Suitcases, Lap top, Airline tickets and employee ID on the nightstand. So I felt comfortable. I've Been doing this a long time and really saw no warning signs. He seemed a bit nervous so I tried putting him at ease with conversation. He then started telling me that he was married and that he didn't have much experience with M4M. He began to tell me what he wanted. A little oral and maybe a little buttfucking (if I were gentle) I sort of nodded my head. I didn't agree orally. He then got up and grabbed the ice bucket and a couple glasses and started for the door. He Stopped and asked if I would care for anything to drink. I declined. As he was opening the door he said I'll be back in a second, I also have to run down to the lobby and hit the ATM machine, he said he forgot what my rate was, then he asked what it was, 200 or 250. I said 250. He opened the door and 4 cops came bursting into the room, handcuffed me, hauled me out the back door of the hotel and held me in an undercover car until they had finished their sting. I think that evening they busted 8 of us, both male and female. I spent the night in jail, got a 45 dollar fine and 2 days community service. My attorney had the charge reduced to the equivalent of a parking ticket. Matt apparently laws in the US differ from the laws in Canada. I believe we are discussing the US here. But thank you for letting us US boys know what the laws are in Canada

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-13-00 AT 02:25PM (EST)[p]Nice to know that NYC is so crime free that NY's Finest can devote themselves to victimless nuisance 'morals infractions'. Let's see -- 8 * $45 = $360 plus 16 days community service -- quite a return on the police resources expended. I guess the silver lining, if there is one, is that they didn't hang you or work you over in the back room. They must have needed to fill their 'parking ticket' quota.

[Guest Sean]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-13-00 AT 01:40PM (EST)[p]Tampa, out of all the people they arrested it cost the city 38k to preform that sting. They busted I think 30 in a 2 month period. I reported it to the Gay and Lesbian center. I Received a call fromm one of the lawyers there a few weeks later and this is what she told me the cost came to. I wonder what the taxpayers of NYC would have to say about that!

[Bilbo]

Sean, That does sound a lot like my story, including the overuse of taxpayer manhours. However, I got a $400 fine, 5 days of community service, 9 months of deferred adjudication probation (I am allowed to travel if I clear it with them, but no alchohol. And the only reason I'm allowed into bars is that I do benefits in them.) and if I break my parole I get another $2,000 in fines and two or so weeks in jail. Perhaps we see here why Houston is not known universally for the high quality of its escorts? and they want to attract gay tourist money?

(Actually, of course, there are some excellent escorts here (Think Quinte!), but we do have a bad rep in general.)

[Bilbo]

And that's with a high quality lawyer.

[Guest Sean]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-00 AT 10:59AM (EST)[p]After reading your first message a Reba McEntire song came to mind. (The night the lights went out in GA). A verse in the song goes "Don't trust your soul to no back woods southern lawyer, cause the judge in the town has blood stains on his hands" Sweetheart you need to find a lawyer that has a couple judges in his back pocket. Good Lord! QUINTE, GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN BABE! Come to NY, you can live with me in my NY apartment.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

Bilbo,

 

Sorry to read of your experience -- sounds as though you are currently living under those conditions, a real bitch.

 

I do expect more (or really less) from the Houston constabulary with respect the playing the role of the ‘keeper of the public morals’ -- a conservative mindset which I am familiar with, being a southern boy myself. That mindset lends itself to zealous prosecution (persecution) of these cases. That doesn’t make it any easier to live with, I know.

 

But Sean’s NYC police -- I can’t conceive of a more jaded constabulary (with the possible exception of LA) keeping the public morals -- just look at their recent press (Louima, etc.) and going back to Serpico and before. I don’t even think that they (the cops) really care about these issues, otherwise they would have time for nothing else in the Apple. It really smells to me like a political action, purely. Yours may have been also, who knows.

 

Too bad the public allows its resources to be squandered on petty political actions like this when there are urgent problems being unattended to.

 

Sean is right about the lawyer -- in this land of equal justice the wealthy are more equal. The extra money for a good attorney, while outrageous, is well worth it, considering the unpleaant alternative. That’s one time you want to pass on the ‘blue light special’.

[Guest Sean]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-00 AT 11:35AM (EST)[p]While sitting in the undercover car, two of the officers (female) were sitting in the car with me. I struck up a conversation with them (one being a lesbian) and ask why they were foolishly spending tax payers dollars on something so petty. The response I received from the lesbian officer was that in June of 99 there was an article in the NY times on Internet prostitution. Apparently Good ole Rudy saw it and stuck his foot up the commish's ass to do something about it. She asked how long I had been doing this and I replied 10 years. She asked how many times I had been arrested, I replied NEVER. She said this is how often we do this here. Only when someone gets a hair up their ass. Go Figure!

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

Image usually triumphs over substance in the world of politics -- it requires much less time and investment.

[Guest Sean]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-00 AT 12:43PM (EST)[p]In my case, they recorded the phone conversation (which didn't contain anything harmful to me) as we only set up the meeting via phone. Nothing was discussed as far as what would take place in the meeting. But they did print out the auto response and a copy of my web page. They also recorded the entire meeting in the hotel room. As far as I know when one rents a hotel its the same as renting an apartment. Which would be claimed as a private residence. Traveler, what's your take on that?

[Guest MattAdams]

I have been following some of the stings around the country and the net income to the government coffers would typically be more if they caught a few cars going through redlights or doing 55 in a 30 zone.

 

Houston is a tough and zealous market. There have also been stings in Dallas. The NY sting was unique in that it was actually well thought out...from a cost approach it is generally uneconomic for police to spend so much time planning to bust someone for a $45 fine (it would be like a meter maid waiting by a car for two hours to serve a parking ticket).

 

Fortunately most of the efforts made by law enforcement on the Internet is to go after pedophiles and drugs. Time and time again I have made it clear to law enforcement if you cant get a drug charge out of your efforts dont waste your time. Time and time again they end up with nothing but expenses, very little revenue, and back firing publicity because they can nab 34 prostitutes in one nite and generate $50 apiece in revenute. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to do the math.

 

Yes, prostitution is agains the law. I am oftentimes amused by the personality types on this board and others that moralize about prostitution. People that have such rigid views typically engage in some sort of dishonest activity themselves even if it is chronic speeding over the speed limit or rolling through stop signs. Ironically, the penalties for such behavior are greater than they are for prostitution with the exception of Texas, but the the governor of texas really doesnt like competition for the title of top whore in the state.

[Guest Sean]

RE: Matt

 

Matt, is the problem in Vegas as bad as I hear regarding Vice setting up stings often?

[Bilbo]

RE: Matt

 

I guess we can assume from his moniker that the original poster is in Savannah. Does anybody know the local kinks in the Georgia laws? Wouldn't the local laws apply?

My lawyer was suggested by nationally known gay and sex industry rights campaigner Ray Hill who said that he was much more lawyer than I really needed and that he (Ray) always suggests that if you can you should hire more lawyer than you need.

My lover and I were advertising together - one or both - and I believe that the police got confused and thought that we were an agency. I read somewhere that agencies get hooked in more often because it is thought that there is more likelihood of them knowing something useful about the drug trade.

I suppose that the best advice we can give the original poster (and I know y'all will correct me in a few particulars) is:

- watch for suspicious characters on your way into the motel room.

- make sure that the client is naked first, generally.

- don't discuss what you are willing to do, just do it.

- if the client wants to talk about both what you are willing to do and what you are charging, you are suddenly only there to discuss the Lord with him for free and pull out the Gideon's.

[Guest AsswithClass]

I was waiting for one of you libs to drag Gov. Bush into this. I'm sure he's also responsible for the stain on your dry cleaning...

[Guest Sean]

Oh dear god! A LOG CABIN FAG! Somebody shoot it!

[Guest Croix]

I did ... and enjoyed it immensely, thank you very much :-)

[Guest Quinte]

RE: Sean

 

LMAO

 

You are too much!

 

Quinte

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