Prostitution Charges in Pennsylvania

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. 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

1.     Own or manage a business of prostitution

2.     Encourage a person to become a prostitute

3.     Cause a person to become or remain a prostitute

4.     Procure a person for the purpose of prostitution

5.     Secure a customer for a prostitute

6.     Secure a prostitute for a customer

7.     Live off money made from prostitution

8.     Lease or allow property you are in control of to be used for prostitution

9.     Transport another person in or out of the state of Pennsylvania

10.      Make money for doing any of the above. 

For example: If you own a massage parlor, and knowingly allow prostitutes to rent space there, you could be charged with promoting prostitution.

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:

ü     Procuring a person for the offense of prostitution;

ü     Encouraging a person to become a prostitute or to remain a prostitute;

ü     Compelling another person to engage in prostitution;

ü     Compelling another person to promote prostitution;

ü     Prostituting yourself or patronizing a prostitute when you know you are infected with HIV or AIDS;

ü     Promoting the prostitution of a person who you know is infected with HIV or AIDS;

ü     Managing a house of prostitution;

ü     Owning a house of prostitution;

ü     Promoting prostitution of your child, your spouse, or any other person you are responsible for, or

ü     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. 

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 sex crimes defense attorneys of Ciccarelli Law Offices have successfully represented individuals throughout the state of Pennsylvania that have been accused of sexual assault crimes. Our Chester County based law firm is based at 304 North High Street, West Chester PA 19380 and serves clients in Kennett Square, Downingtown, West Chester, Coatesville, Exton, Chester Springs, Chadds Ford, Landenberg, Honey Brook, Oxford, Malvern, Parkesburg, Phoenixville andPaoli. Contact us now at (610) 692-8700 or call toll free (877) 529-2422. Don’t wait—contact an attorney immediately.