While many cities target those offering sexual services in exchange for valuables, Sanford as early as the 1990s set up stings to catch those soliciting the services of prostitutes. Countless men have been arrested for what many believe is a victimless crime. However, the damage arrest and conviction can do to your freedom, reputation, and family life means these charges should not be dismissed offhandedly.
Soliciting of a prostitute in Florida means seeking and offering money or other valuables in exchange for sexual services or agreeing to engage in sex acts for a price. If you are caught up in a sting or arrested by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office or Sanford Police Department, a Sanford solicitation lawyer will get to work mitigating the charges.
Florida Statutes Subsection 796.07(2)(f) provides an overview of solicitation of prostitution, criminalizing soliciting, enticing, inducing, or procuring a person to engage in prostitution, assignation, or lewd accts. While prostitution is participating in sex acts for compensation, assignation is arranging or scheduling an appointment to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
You are entitled under the U.S. Constitution to competent representation when your freedom is at risk due to criminal charges. Although the solicitation of a prostitute is generally charged as a misdemeanor, if you engaged in coercion, have a criminal history, or minors are involved, the charges can escalate to a felony. Once you are arrested and enter the criminal justice system, the most valuable action you can take it to employ a Sanford solicitation attorney to navigate for your benefit. The steps to note include:
Penalties can exceed those imposed by the court. You could lose your job, friends, your spouse or partner, and the ability to own a firearm if the charges escalate to a felony. Contact our experienced defense attorneys to forge a plan seeking the best outcome for your situation.
The courts have wide discretion when sentencing those convicted of solicitation. Jail time can range from several days to months, and more for aggravating circumstances or repeat offenses. Fines typically range from hundreds to several thousand dollars. Probation may also be an option instead of jail time or in addition to it. Probation is tied to meeting certain requirements, such as completing educational programs, regular meetings with probation officers, and performing community service hours.
You will also be responsible for paying court and probation costs and could be sentenced to programs that address the underlying cause of your engagement in the crime. Our attorneys can make sense of the process and fight strategically for your freedom.
An arrest is not a conviction. The jury empaneled for your trial must believe there is no other conclusion but that you are guilty. We could chip away at the prosecutor’s case by showing there is a lack of evidence to support convicting you, such as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You may also have been entrapped in a sting, in which law enforcement coerced you with overbearing actions to commit a crime you would not have thought to commit. You also may be misidentified and have an alibi, or you had no intention of exchanging money for sex and were just being flirtatious.
You should expect competence from an attorney you engage for help. Historically, the Sanford Herald and Orlando Sentinel have named those arrested in Seminole and Orange counties prostitution stings, adding to your embarrassment and straining your family relations at a time you just need an advocate.
Our law firm is the source of proven results defending you against criminal charges. We understand the stress and embarrassment you feel, and we have solutions that will allow you to put this chapter of your life to rest. Contact a Sanford solicitation lawyer now.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
