Cincinnati Solicitation for Prostitution Defense Lawyers
In Ohio, solicitation for prostitution charges can result in legal consequences. A person convicted of solicitation for prostitution may face misdemeanor charges, resulting in hefty fines and possible jail time. If a person compels another to prostitution or promotes prostitution, they will have their penalties enhanced.
Joslyn Law Firm has served as defense counsel in more than 20,000 criminal cases across Cincinnati and surrounding counties. Having a member of our firm working on your defense against solicitation for prostitution charges will give you peace of mind, knowing lawyers with experience in this type of defense are handling your case.
Brian Joslyn, the founder of Joslyn Law Firm, was ranked as one of the 10 best criminal defense lawyers in Ohio by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys.
Cincinnati Attorneys for Solicitation for Prostitution in Ohio
If you have been accused of or charged with solicitation for prostitution, consider seeking legal representation as soon as possible. You will want a lawyer with our resources and knowledge in your corner, fighting to preserve your reputation and freedom.
The attorneys at Joslyn Law Firm have experience in handling all types of sex offense cases in Ohio. Our lawyers are compassionate with clients and aggressive in the courtroom.
As a firm, Joslyn Law Firm enjoys national recognition and has received several awards of distinction, including Columbus CEO Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” and Super Lawyers’ “Rising Star.”
Joslyn Law Firm’s Cincinnati solicitation for prostitution defense lawyers represent those accused of this and other sex crimes throughout the greater Hamilton County area and other communities, including Harrison, Cincinnati, Blue Ash, Springfield, Reading, and Montgomery.
Call Joslyn Law Firm for help with your solicitation for prostitution case at (513) 399-6289.
Overview for Solicitation for Prostitution in Ohio
- Types of Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Ohio
- Penalties for Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Cincinnati
- Defenses for Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Hamilton County
- Additional Resources for Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Ohio
- News About Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Cincinnati
- Frequently Asked Questions About Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Ohio
- Cincinnati Solicitation for Prostitution Defense Lawyer
Types of Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Ohio
Under Ohio Revised Code § 2907.24, a person is guilty of soliciting a prostitute when they purposefully solicit another individual in a public place to engage in sexual activity for hire.
Possible Included Offenses
Here are some offenses you could be charged with alongside solicitation, depending on your case’s facts:
Loitering to Solicit Prostitution
When an individual commits the following actions with the intent to solicit prostitution, their behavior can be construed as loitering to solicit prostitution (Ohio Revised Code § 2907.241):
- Beckoning, stopping, or attempting to stop another person
- Attempting or encouraging another person to go inside their vehicle
- Stopping or attempting to stop the vehicle operator or a stationary vehicle
- Engaging or attempting to engage another person in conversation
- Blocking or obstructing another person’s path
Compelling Prostitution
If a person induces another to engage in sexual activity, Ohio considers it compelling prostitution under Ohio Revised Code § 2907.21. Anyone who does any of the following is committing the illegal offense of compelling prostitution:
- Compelling another person to engage in sexual activity for hire
- Inducing, procuring, encouraging, soliciting, requesting, or otherwise facilitating a minor or an individual that the offender believes is a minor to participate in sexual activity for hire
- Paying a minor, or someone the offender believes is a minor, for having participated in sexual activity, whether or not the offender knew the minor’s age
- Paying or agreeing to pay a minor, or someone the offender believes is a minor, so the minor will participate in sexual activity, whether or not the offender is aware of the minor’s actual age
- Allowing a minor, or someone the offender believes to be a minor, to participate in sexual activity for hire if the offender is a parent or guardian of the minor
Penalties for Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Cincinnati
Ohio law treats prostitution charges very seriously. The crime of soliciting prostitution is typically a misdemeanor of the third degree. A third-degree misdemeanor carries heavy penalties, including:
- A possible fine of up to $500
- Potential jail time of up to 60 days
Penalties for Compelling Prostitution
If sexual activity takes place from the solicitation, an individual is guilty of compelling prostitution. Compelling prostitution is usually a felony of the third degree. Third-degree felonies are punishable as follows:
- A possible fine of up to $10,000
- A potential prison time of up to 5 years
If the alleged offender compels an individual between the ages of 16 and 18 to participate in sexual activity for hire, they may face a felony of the second degree. Sentencing for a second-degree felony includes:
- A possible fine of up to $15,000
- A potential prison term of up to 8 years
If a convicted offender compels an individual who is less than 16 years of age, the penalty is enhanced. A person who compels an individual younger than 16 years old to participate in sexual activity for hire will face a felony of the first degree. First-degree felony penalties include:
- A possible fine of up to $20,000
- A potential prison term of up to 10 years
Defenses for Solicitation for Prostitution in Hamilton County
Being charged with an offense in Hamilton County does not mark the end of the road. Our firm of criminal defense lawyers can mount any of several defense strategies on your behalf, depending on your case’s circumstances.
Lack of Substantial Evidence
Anyone accused of solicitation for prostitution in Hamilton County is innocent, in the eyes of the law, until proven guilty. This means that the prosecution has the burden of proving your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The strategy with this defense consists of shooting holes in the prosecution’s case. First and foremost, they must prove that you solicited sex in exchange for money. Without irrefutable evidence that you attempted such an agreement with another party, you cannot be convicted of this offense.
Entrapment
Entrapment is one of the most popular defenses against solicitation for prostitution charges in cases where undercover law enforcement officers pose as prostitutes and try to persuade the defendant to engage in solicitation.
These set-ups can be somewhat elaborate. Multiple officers work to entrap an individual—one acting as the prostitute and the other encouraging the defendant to solicit the undercover officer’s sex service for money.
For this defense to work, our legal team will put our knowledge of police tactics to work to convince the court that the law enforcement officers’ actions caused you to behave in a way contrary to your nature. This element is a required component of any entrapment defense.
Misunderstanding
Building a defense against solicitation charges depends on the words exchanged when the alleged solicitation happened. The prosecution will need to prove you had a conversation with another party that involved payment for sex.
In the absence of this proof, our legal team can argue that you were interested in the other party involved in the alleged solicitation and thought the attraction was mutual, which prompted you to suggest sexual conduct. This defense is most effective if we can convince the court that you did not know the other party involved was a prostitute.
Additional Resources for Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Cincinnati
Criminal Law Casebook
Visit the Public Defender for the State of Ohio’s official website and view their criminal law casebook surrounding prostitution charges. See the different cases and their verdicts that have altered prostitution charges in Ohio.
Overview of John Schools and Justification for Further Research in Ohio
This report reviews efforts to decrease the demand for human trafficking, beyond the legal penalties associated with paying for commercial sex. The study discusses the means of deterring “johns” (purchasers of commercial sex) by educating them about the sex-for-hire industry’s realities and risks. The paper reviews these programs—referred to as “john schools”—and their effectiveness in Ohio and states.
Ohio Attorney General Ohio Crime Victims’ Rights
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost produced this guide to educate violent crime victims of their right to access a range of state-provided services. These services include outreach and training, as well as victim compensation. Sex trafficking victims can recover costs for counseling and medical services, lost wages, and transportation for seeking medical treatment.
Ohio Attorney General’s Office Human Trafficking Annual Report
This report from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office offers insight into the current state of human trafficking in Ohio. As the report states, Ohio law defines sex trafficking as compelled sexual activity for hire. It reviews the Attorney General’s human trafficking initiative and introduces the partners fighting against human trafficking. It also updates the reader on state legislation, law enforcement activity and training, and law enforcement statistics for 2019 human trafficking in the state.
Cincinnati Union Bethel Off the Streets Program
A collaborative effort of the criminal justice system, police department, health care providers, and more than 50 nonprofit organizations, this program aims to help women with histories of exploitation and sex trafficking. The program recognizes such women as trauma victims and works to move them past the trauma of their experience to more productive and healthier lifestyles.
News About Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Ohio
February 10, 2021
Former NKY Officer and Sex Offender Arrested Again on a Sex Charge
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that former Fort Mitchell police captain James Bussman pleaded guilty to soliciting minors for sex at a local skatepark. Bussman allegedly offered a man money in exchange for a sex act. He is a registered sex offender following a conviction in 2020. Police are now looking for other people who might have been victims of Bussman.
November 18, 2020
Exclusive: Ohio’s Sex Trafficking Laws in Spotlight for ‘Loophole’ Charging Minors
Cincinnati WKRC’s exclusive article tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who ran away from home and became a prostitute on the streets of Toledo. The girl talks about being treated like a criminal rather than a victim. This story explores how Ohio’s treatment of minors involved in prostitution rates considerably lower than that of other states.
September 17, 2020
Prostitution Case Brings Middletown Action on Massage Parlors
Middletown officials announced that unlicensed massage parlors would not receive certificates of occupancy or building permits for the upcoming six months, reported the Journal-News. The move serves as part of a strategy to curb illegal activity in the area.
During these six months, the city will review and revise regulations to not reopen problematic massage businesses. According to local police, illegal massage operations in the area can easily promote human trafficking, and their proximity to Interstate 75 heightens facilitates this opportunity. An intense solicitation and prostitution investigation led to two women at A+/Hong Massage on Breiel Boulevard being charged with solicitation after a Police Special Operations Unit executed a search warrant.
August 5, 2020
Feds: Hamilton Man Indicted, Accused of Sex Trafficking a Student from Anderson High School
According to The Enquirer, a Hamilton man solicited a 16-year-old high school girl to engage in sexual conduct with him and another woman. Detectives found the girl at the home of the defendant, Malikai Willis, who had picked her up at Anderson High School. Willis was arrested and charged in Hamilton County. He faces a single count of child sex trafficking and multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child. In 2019, Willis was charged with human trafficking and soliciting prostitution involving the same girl.
Frequently Asked Questions About Solicitation for Prostitution Charges in Ohio
Q. Will I go to jail for soliciting prostitution in Cincinnati?
A. Yes, you could go to jail for this offense. A conviction for soliciting prostitution could mean 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. If the offense involves compelling prostitution, you could pay up to $10,000 and spend five years in prison. These penalties are increased if the offense involves a person between the ages of 16 and 18. When the individual is younger than 16 years old, the fine can be as high as $20,000, with a prison term of up to 10 years.
Q. How is solicitation different from prostitution in Hamilton County?
A. Solicitation comprises the actions and behaviors that precede the actual act of performing sex acts for money. A person who offers commercial sex, hires someone to perform commercial sex, or accepts a proposition to engage in commercial sex stands guilty of solicitation in the eyes of Ohio law. Prostitution comprises the actual act of performing sex acts in exchange for money.
Q. What type of charge is solicitation for prostitution in Cincinnati?
A. Typically, in Cincinnati, solicitation for prostitution is charged as a misdemeanor in the third degree. A court could penalize you with a fine of up to $500 and a jail term of up to 60 days. However, if the solicitation ends with the act of prostitution, a judge could sentence you to up to five years in prison—and a fine up of to $10,000. When minors are involved, or the offense involves compelling prostitution, these penalties and punishments are enhanced.
Q. How do I beat a solicitation of prostitution charge in Ohio?
A. As with any other crime, people charged with solicitation of prostitution in Ohio are innocent until proven guilty. There are several defense strategies a lawyer from our team can use to raise reasonable doubt in court. For example, they can argue that the prosecution lacks substantial evidence of an agreement to exchange money for sex.
They can also attack the investigation and show that your arrest happened as an outcome of entrapment. A solicitation for prostitution defense lawyer from our firm will hear the details in your consultation and devise the defense best suited for your case’s facts.
Q. Besides going to jail and paying a fine, how can a conviction for solicitation of prostitution hurt me?
A. You will face many collateral consequences from a conviction for solicitation of prostitution. One of the hardest to face will be the damage to your reputation and the likely problems such a conviction could stir in your marriage and other relationships.
Furthermore, the court could suspend your driver’s license, making it difficult for you to go to work, buy groceries, and handle many of the important tasks you have to manage from day to day. Depending on the charges against you, a conviction for this offense could also make it hard to get a job or keep a job.
Q. What is entrapment, and how can it affect my case of solicitation for prostitution?
A. Entrapment is just one of several legal defenses we can raise in a case of solicitation of prostitution. If an undercover law enforcement officer posed as a prostitute and began to pressure you into soliciting their sexual services in exchange for money, we—as your defense counsel—could argue that the police officer tricked you into acting contrary to your nature and committing the offense of solicitation.
Cincinnati Solicitation for Prostitution Defense Lawyers
If you or someone you know has been arrested for or charged with soliciting prostitution in Cincinnati, you can start planning now to get some leverage with your defense. Strongly consider hiring a lawyer from Joslyn Law Firm as soon as possible and find an attorney who is ready to put your first.
Joslyn Law Firm has over 20 years’ experience handling all types of sex offense cases in Cincinnati and other Ohio courts. We understand that the legal process can be daunting. Our attorneys dedicate themselves to our client’s success. We will guide you every step of the way through Ohio’s courts.
