West Chester PA Prostitution Charges
Law enforcement officials in the state of Pennsylvania have cracked down on the crime of prostitution, using undercover operations, both on websites and local neighborhoods. If you find yourself caught up in one of these operations, or if you have been charged with prostitution under other circumstances, it is important that you contact a Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney as quickly as possible. Not only are charges of this nature humiliating, you also risk a conviction and serious penalties.
Prostitution Laws In Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania laws make it a criminal offense to do any of the following:
- You may not engage in any type of sexual activity in exchange for money;
- You may not loiter in a public place (or in view of a public place) with a goal of being hired for a sexual activity in return for money;
- You may not hire a person who engages in sexual activity in exchange for money;
- You may not make money from promoting the offense of prostitution;
- If you engage in the crime of prostitution when you know you are HIV positive or have AIDS, you could be punished even more severely.
Promoting Prostitution in the State of Pennsylvania
Promoting prostitution occurs when you
- Own or manage a business of prostitution
- Encourage a person to become a prostitute
- Cause a person to become or remain a prostitute
- Procure a person for the purpose of prostitution
- Secure a customer for a prostitute
- Secure a prostitute for a customer
- Live off money made from prostitution
- Lease or allow property you are in control of to be used for prostitution
- Transport another person in or out of the state of Pennsylvania
- Make money by doing any of the above.
Patronizing a Prostitute in the State of Pennsylvania
If you hire a prostitute—or any other person—to engage in a sexual activity in return for money, or if you enter or remain in a house of prostitution, with a goal of hiring a prostitute, then you could be charged with patronizing a prostitute. You could be charged with this offense even if you hired an undercover officer to engage in sex for money, but you were arrested before a sex act occurred.
Child Prostitution in the State of Pennsylvania
You will be punished much more severely for promoting prostitution if a person under the age of 18 is involved in any way. While all prostitution charges are potentially very serious, you probably know that if the crime included a child the penalties will increase significantly.
Penalties Associated with Prostitution Charges in the State of Pennsylvania
- While the penalties you will suffer depend on your exact charges, as well as your prior criminal history, you could be sentenced to the following for a conviction of a prostitution crime:
- If you are convicted of the crime off prostitution or the crime of patronizing a prostitute, you could face a fine as large as $2,500, and up to one year in a Pennsylvania county jail. If this is a second, third, or subsequent offense of prostitution or patronizing a prostitute, you could face a fine as large as $10,000, and up to five years in Pennsylvania state prison.
- If you are convicted of promoting prostitution, you could be fined an amount up to $5,000, and can spend up to three years in Pennsylvania state prison.
If you are convicted of one of the following prostitution crimes, you could be sentenced to up to seven years in Pennsylvania state prison, and a fine of up to $15,000:
- Procuring a person for the offense of prostitution;
- Encouraging a person to become a prostitute or to remain a prostitute;
- Compelling another person to engage in prostitution;
- Compelling another person to promote prostitution;
- Prostituting yourself or patronizing a prostitute when you know you are infected with HIV or AIDS;
- Promoting the prostitution of a person who you know is infected with HIV or AIDS;
- Managing a house of prostitution;
- Owning a house of prostitution;
- Promoting prostitution of your child, your spouse, or any other person you are responsible for, or
- Promoting the prostitution of a minor.
- If you are convicted of patronizing a prostitute for the second or subsequent time, your name will be published in the local newspaper—and you will be forced to pay for the costs associated with that publication.
What to Do If You Are Charged with Prostitution
When a person is accused of a crime they did not commit, or when they do not believe they have done anything wrong, they often believe that the truth will prevail. Yet, if you are charged with a significant crime like prostitution in PA, recognize that it will be critical to prove that you are innocent or not worthy of the punishments that may occur. Our legal team can help you.
Keep Quiet and Ask for Your Attorney
When you are facing charges like this, the first step to take is to simply ask to speak to your attorney. It is very common for people who are accused of a crime to be angry, and rightfully so. Yet, if you say anything, it will be used against you in a court of law. The best thing you can do, then, is not to say anything at all, no matter how tempting it is, to protect yourself and ask to speak to an attorney.
Be Open and Honest with Your Attorney
Once you meet with our Pennsylvania prostitution defense lawyer, we will listen to the details you provide to us and use that information to build your case. If you leave out any information, it could put your case at risk and or no benefit. Be open with us. Note that we will not tell anyone any details of your case. Your privacy is protected. However, if you fail to provide all relevant details, that could put us behind the prosecution.
Allow Us to Examine All Legal Strategies for You
There are various ways to defend against a claim of prostitution. Using the information you provide to our legal team, we will work to uncover what occurred and why. We will also dig to find the evidence that may be out there to protect you. Our legal team will also create a legal strategy that we believe is best suited for your needs. We encourage you to speak to us about all of your concerns so that we can make the best decisions for your situation.
Choose an Experienced, Dedicated Criminal Defense Attorney
With long-term possible consequences, it is essential that you arm yourself with a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney in Pennsylvania who can fight to protect your rights. Our experience stands out in the region for helping people to get fair treatment under the law. If you have been accused of a crime, you can trust us for many reasons:
- We have a strong reputation for being aggressive protectors of our client’s rights. We are taken seriously by the court.
- We have proven success with cases of significant complexity, and that means you have that experience working for you.
- Our team is compassionate. We understand what is on the line and how important this case is to you.
Not every attorney is the same. We encourage you to find a prostitution defense attorney in Pennsylvania that you can believe in and feel comfortable with throughout this legal matter.
Additional Consequences for a Conviction of Prostitution
As if the penalties listed above were not serious enough, if you are convicted of promoting the prostitution of a minor in the state of Pennsylvania, you will be required to register as a sex offender for twenty-five years after your release from prison or probation. You will be considered a Tier II offender, and will be required to go to the local State Police Department every six months to update your registration and have your photo taken.
If you miss one of these updates, you could be charged with a felony. If you have any changes in your information, including selling or buying a car, changing homes, changing your phone number or you make any changes in your personal appearance, you report those changes within three days.
As a registered sex offender, you will be ineligible for employment in a public or private school in the state of Pennsylvania, plus you will suffer the same negative consequences as anyone in the state who has a criminal conviction on their record. You will be unable to secure a government student loan, own a firearm, obtain a professional license, and may be unable to find a job or rent a home.
Your Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney will carefully review your case to determine if sufficient evidence exists to support your charges. He or she will also attempt to discredit any evidence against you, and will, essentially, explore every avenue to ensure you have the best outcome possible.
Contact Our Pennsylvania Prostitution Defense Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been charged with prostitution in the State of Pennsylvania, it is important to fight these charges aggressively. The Pennsylvania sex crimes defense attorneys of Ciccarelli Law Offices have successfully represented individuals throughout the state of Pennsylvania who have been accused of sexual assault crimes. Contact us now at (610) 692-8700 or call toll-free (877) 529-2422. Don’t wait—contact an attorney immediately.