Prostitution & Solicitation
We Value Your Privacy, Dignity, and Reputation.
The act of buying and selling sexual encounters has evolved dramatically since the advent of the internet and social media. Although sexually explicit services can be explored discretely from the privacy of your home, law enforcement are growing increasingly sophisticated at monitoring your activities. In the Portland metro area we are seeing a number of sting operations where law enforcement uses online sources to capture potential customers with fake ads or undercover officers posing as social media starlets with sexual services for sale.
These stings generally originate on the web or through social media apps. Police will place explicit ads for escorts or other suggestive services, or respond to online posts from those seeking these services. We have also seen a new type of sting that involves the police running a massage parlor and offering prostitution related services to individuals who walk in. The Oregon legislature and other local government officials have pressured law enforcement and prosecutors to crackdown on “sex trafficking” resulting in regular citizens getting prosecuted for prostitution related offenses, most commonly the charge of “Commercial Sexual Solicitation”.
Consequences of Commercial Sexual Solicitation Charges
In today’s social climate, Prostitution and Commercial Sexual Solicitation charges carry serious consequences. Paying for sexual services used to be considered a minor offense that often resulted in warnings or police looking the other way, however, societal changes and political pressure have led police and prosecutors to pursue these cases aggressively. Not only must you deal with a criminal case, your name and face posted is all over the local news and internet making the digital footprint of your arrest extremely difficult to hide or ever delete.
Erik Nicholson has extensive experience working with and clearing or expunging the records of clients charged with “Prostitution”, “Commercial Sexual Solicitation”, ‘Promoting Prostitution”, and “Compelling Prostitution”.
Our Approach
We never judge our clients and are committed to making sure you feel respected and supported throughout the difficult process of dealing with a prostitution related charge. We understand the stress this event places on your personal, professional and emotional life. We use our years of experience to help you navigate the many difficulties of a Commercial Sexual Solicitation or other prostitution related charge with the goal of minimum consequence and disruption in your life.
Our team has the utmost respect for your privacy and dignity. We have years of experience working to avoid the filing of charges, aggressively defending against false accusations, mitigating offenses and obtaining resolutions that leave your dignity, reputation, and employability intact. Throughout the process you will be educated and counseled on what to do to minimize the impact of these types of charges on your life.
If you’ve been arrested or cited, time is of the essence to minimize the impact these charges can have on your personal and professional life. Contact The Law Offices of Erik Nicholson today for a free consultation.
Prostitution & Solicitation – Questions & Answers
Maybe. It often depends on the address you gave law enforcement at the time of your arrest. Once we are hired to represent you we can update your address with the court to our law firm address to receive all court correspondence on your behalf.
No. There is no sex offender registration requirement for prostitution or commercial sexual solicitation so long as the person that was hired or solicited was over the age of 18 and therefore an adult. Neither prostitution, nor commercial sexual solicitation is defined as a sex offense under Oregon law.
Yes. A conviction for Promoting Prostitution or Compelling Prostitution is a sex offense that requires lifetime registration (although there may be eligibility for relief from registration after a minimum of 5 years if certain strict requirements have been met).
No. The penalties for prostitution offenses involving children under 18 are much more severe than the penalties for seeking adult sexual services, and include mandatory sex offender registration and the high potential for a prison sentence.
Oregon law provides that the crime of prostitution is committed when a person knowingly:
- Engages, offers to engage, or agrees to engage in sexual conduct or sexual contact for a fee; or
- Pays another, offers to pay another, or agrees to pay another a fee to engage in sexual conduct or sexual contact.
Prostitution is a Class A misdemeanor that has a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and a maximum fine of $6,250.00.
Oregon law provides that the crime of Commercial Sexual Solicitation is committed when a person knowingly:
- Pays, offers, or agrees to pay a fee to engage in sexual conduct or sexual contact.
Commercial Sexual Solicitation is a Class A misdemeanor that has a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and a maximum fine of $6,250.00.
Oregon law provides that a person commits the crime of promoting prostitution if, with intent to promote prostitution, the person knowingly:
- (a) Owns, controls, manages, supervises or otherwise maintains a place of prostitution or a prostitution enterprise;
- (b) Induces or causes a person to engage in prostitution or to remain in a place of prostitution;
- (c) Receives or agrees to receive money, goods, property, services or something else of value, other than as a prostitute being compensated for personally rendered prostitution services, pursuant to an agreement or understanding that the money, goods, property, services or something else of value is derived from a prostitution activity; or
- (d) Engages in any conduct that institutes, aids or facilitates an act or enterprise of prostitution.
Promoting Prostitution is a Class C Felony that has a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $125,000.00.
Oregon law provides that a person commits the crime of compelling prostitution if the person knowingly:
- (a) Uses force or intimidation to compel another to engage in prostitution or attempted prostitution;
- (b) Induces or causes a person under 18 years of age to engage in prostitution;
- (c) Aids or facilitates the commission of prostitution or attempted prostitution by a person under 18 years of age; or
- (d) Induces or causes the spouse, child or stepchild of the person to engage in prostitution.
In a prosecution under subsection (b) or (c) of this section, the government is not required to prove that the you knew the other person was under 18 years of age and it is not a defense that you didn’t know the person’s age or that you reasonably believed the person to be older than 18 years of age.
Compelling prostitution is a Class B felony that has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.00.