Like everything else, the sex trade has changed with the growth of the internet. But one thing has not changed. There are men willing to pay for sex, and women willing to take their money. Come to think of it, there is another thing that hasn’t changed. In most of the U.S., selling or buying sexual services is illegal.
If you have been arrested for prostitution or solicitation after scheduling through the website Backpage (or any other service), please call our Orlando Backpage defense lawyer to represent you.
At one time you could look in the personal section of the newspaper. There would be ads for everything from people trying to find people they met once to prostitutes advertising a good time. Then newspapers started killing their personal sections because of the prostitution. Sex services, legal and not, moved online with web sites and web cams. The personal ads moved to online classified sites like Craigslist and Backpage.
Craigslist no longer has personal ads, but Backpage had an active personals section – and the action included Backpage police stings with arrests and convictions.
In Florida, statute Title XLVI Chapter 796 covers prostitution. Section 796.07 covers most of the acts not involving minors. It says, in part, that prostitution is selling the body for sex and that it is illegal to make appointments for the purpose of prostitution or to engage in sexual activity with a prostitute.
Section 796.07 is the section covering most of the activity on Backpage, and is what most of the Backpage police stings in Orlando used to catch prostitutes and johns. Another targeted group is unlicensed massage therapists – some of whom exchange sex for money. If you answer an ad for massage therapy and the therapist moves into forbidden territory, stop them immediately and tell them that is not what you paid for. When money is changing hands the mere act of touching genitals (or allowing them to be touched) is illegal and can lead to arrest.
Prostitution laws are fairly similar almost everywhere in the U.S. Some details may differ, but the gist was the same: Backpage stings are happening around the country. People answer an ad, usually aware what they are paying for, and find themselves under arrest. In some states their pictures and names are put online for the world to see.
Prostitution is illegal in most of the U.S., and has been for a very long time. Protect yourself from the humiliation of arrest and public display. Do not solicit prostitutes on the streets or online. If you do, you may find yourself caught in an Orlando Backpage police sting.
If you are caught up in the fallout of this site, or any other, contact a qualified trial-proven defense attorney like those at the Umansky Law Firm. Our team of attorneys has over 100 years combined of reputable experience in Florida courtrooms. As former prosecutors, we provide unique benefits that other firms simply can’t match, having tried hundreds of courtroom cases in recent years. Contact us to schedule your free case evaluation today.
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