Arrested for Soliciting a Prostitute? This Information Is Vital to Your Defense
There’s no doubt that being arrested and accordingly charged with soliciting a prostitute or sex worker is an embarrassing situation to be in. Whether it’s just a personal topic you don’t want to go into, or you may have been caught when you have a family or partner that you don’t want to find out.
Either way, it can be a difficult time, but that doesn’t mean you should keep the case proceedings out of sight and out of mind. That’s not how things get better. Instead, today we’re going to share some of the key elements of the legal proceedings you need to know to help better defend yourself and get the outcome of the case that’s best for you.
Start with your Mindset
Sure, being arrested for anything, let alone soliciting a prostitute, can be a panic-inducing experience, and it’s not uncommon for your mind to go into freak-out mode. The most important thing to remember here is to stay grounded and focused. Nothing is going to be achieved if you’re freaking out, panicking, and overthinking.
Learn the Facts
Solicitation is a serious crime, and even organising to meet up online for sex for money and then showing up in that location can be enough to charge you, but the terms can vary depending on which state you’re in, so make sure you’re getting yourself a sex crime lawyer who will know the rules and regulations in your area.
Once you know the facts of your situation, you’ll be able to start looking for ways you can prove you’ve falsely been accused or understanding what comes next and what your options are. You’ll also need to think about what kind of punishments you could be facing.
For first offences, let’s say you’re found guilty for a one-off, you’ll be charged as a misdemeanour. You could face anything up to six months in county jail, a fine of $1,000, or a probation term. These are the worst-case scenarios, and these punishments should be seen as a spectrum.
If you’ve been caught for repeat offences, you can be charged with a felony which means you’ll face harsher punishments, like longer jail sentences and higher fines, and this can go on indefinitely. In some extreme cases, you may even risk being put on the sex offenders list, which you really don’t want as this will affect every aspect of your life, but this will rarely come with first-time offences.
However, it may give you peace of mind to know that the prosecution of your case need to prove that your intent was there to solicit a prostitute. If they can’t, then they have no case to penalise you.
Summary
The most important thing to remember is that cases will vary based on the individual circumstances of that case. There’s all manner of things that are taken into consideration, so don’t panic and know that if you take the time to get a professional on your side, you should be able to work through your case to get the situation resolved in the best possible way.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
