Las Vegas Prostitution and Solicitation Charges Attorney
There are many reasons why Las Vegas is known as Sin City, and chief among them are the unavoidable signs and symbols of the sex industry, deceiving many into thinking prostitution in the city is legal. This has also led Las Vegas law enforcement to take aggressive investigative actions to enforce the city’s laws.
If you are facing a criminal charge of prostitution or solicitation, you do not have to confront it alone. The Law Office of Joel M. Mann can offer you skilled legal representation and support during this critical time. Joel takes these cases seriously and has dedicated his career to protecting the rights and interests of people like you. He has extensive experience handling sex crime cases and securing favorable outcomes for clients.
Call Joel M. Mann today for a free, confidential consultation about your case.
Importance of Hiring a Prostitution and Solicitation Charges Lawyer
If you are facing prostitution or soliciting prostitution charges, it’s in your best interests to hire a criminal defense lawyer experienced in handling these cases. The legal consequences of such charges can be severe and have long-lasting effects on your personal and professional life. A skilled prostitution and solicitation lawyer can advocate for your rights and fight aggressively for the best possible outcome in your case.
An experienced criminal lawyer will also understand the relevant laws and potential defenses to raise in your case. In Las Vegas, law enforcement often uses sting operations to find those who would solicit prostitutes or who engage in prostitution. Your lawyer could challenge the legality of your arrest, question the veracity of the evidence against you, and identify and exploit any weakness in the prosecution’s case.
Understanding Prostitution and Solicitation Laws
The prostitution and solicitation laws in Nevada are quite confusing, so many people make false assumptions about what is and is not legal in Las Vegas. It will help to address what is prostitution and what is solicitation of prostitution:
- Prostitution – Under Nevada law, prostitution means engaging in sexual conduct for money or a thing of value. Sexual conduct may include sexual intercourse, oral sex, or touching of sexual organs or other intimate parts for either person’s sexual gratification.
- Solicitation – Solicitation occurs when someone offers to pay for sex with another person. A person can be charged with solicitation even if a sexual act never occurs.
Nevada is the only state with any form of legalized prostitution or solicitation. However, it is only legal to engage in prostitution or solicitation in licensed houses of prostitution. To obtain a license, the establishment must apply to the license board of their respective county according to regulations set out by that board and pay a required license fee. The board may refer the application to the sheriff, who will report on the application at the board’s next regular meeting. At that point, the board will either approve or deny the license.
Even so, Nevada limits such licenses to counties with populations of fewer than 700,000 people. As of a recent accounting, all counties in Nevada except Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, have populations of fewer than 700,000 people. Some of these counties further limit licenses to certain communities.
Despite a lot of confusion from word of mouth, the act of prostitution in Las Vegas is illegal. It is illegal to engage in any exchange of sex for payment in Clark County, Nevada and Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to the Nevada Independent, approximately 20 licensed houses of prostitution or brothels currently operate in the state.
To further complicate things, escort services are legal in Las Vegas under certain circumstances:
- The escort must work for a licensed escort bureau and maintain a valid work card.
- The escort must be at least 18 years old and free from communicable diseases, per a letter from a licensed physician.
- The escort cannot perform any sexual acts for money.
However, escort services sometimes blur into prostitution, leaving an unsuspecting customer facing criminal charges.
Legal Consequences and Penalties
Both the alleged customer and the alleged prostitute can face significant legal consequences for a charge of engaging in solicitation of prostitution or prostitution itself.
For the alleged prostitute, if an arrest occurs, the officer must inform them that they may be eligible for a pre-prosecution diversion program, which, if completed successfully, could result in a court dismissing the charges. Ultimately, an alleged prostitute could face a misdemeanor conviction with a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.
For the alleged customer of the prostitute, the consequences depend on their criminal history and the nature of the alleged crime:
- For a first offense – A misdemeanor conviction, punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, as well as an additional $400 fine and a minimum $200 civil penalty
- For a second offense – A gross misdemeanor conviction, punishable by a fine up to $2,000, up to one year in jail, or both, and an additional fine of $800 and a minimum $200 civil penalty
- For a third or subsequent offense – A gross misdemeanor conviction, punishable by a fine up to $2,000, up to one year in jail, or both, and an additional fine of $1,300 and a minimum $200 civil penalty
If the alleged crime involved the solicitation of a child, the legal consequences are far more severe:
- For a first offense – A category D felony, punishable by imprisonment from one to four years and a fine up to $5,000
- For a second offense – A category C felony, punishable by imprisonment from one to five years and a fine up to $10,000
- For a third or subsequent offense – A category B felony, punishable by imprisonment of at least one year, up to six years, and a fine of up to $15,000
Even after getting out of jail, a solicitation or prostitution conviction can continue to follow you and cause collateral consequences. That’s because even if you are eligible to seal your criminal record, you cannot do so until after a waiting period of one to five years, depending on the conviction. Without a sealed record, the conviction could appear on criminal background checks for jobs, loans, and housing.
Get Help from a Prostitution and Solicitation Charges Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer when facing prostitution or solicitation of prostitution charges is essential to protect your rights, mount a compelling defense, and seek the most favorable outcome. Joel M. Mann is ready to help you fight back. Contact the Law Office of Joel M. Mann today so we can get started on your defense.
