Calgary LE "interview" new agency escorts?

[HaywoodJabloemy]

There's been articles on this case in The Calgary Herald just about every day for the last couple of weeks.

The investigation started after a complaint from an escort who worked for another agency.

The argument that charges should be dropped because the city knowingly licenses agencies, is being made by defence lawyer Pat Fagan, who is a former RCMP officer, and therefore has no trouble seeing through the BS from the cops and city officials.
From Nov. 9 article:

...A one-time escort herself, she described her own meeting with the vice squad years before when she was applying for her licence. "They told me I was basically going into a job that allowed sex for money," she said.

It was a claim later backed up by Kathryn Coonfer, a former civilian employee of the city police vice unit. Coonfer, who told court she'd interviewed "countless" young women applying to be escorts over an eight year period, admitted, "It was my understanding that they understood what they were getting into."

...One question on the official interview list -- "Are you aware of the sexual nature of the industry you are entering?"

I don't know how significant it would be for the rest of the country, but it could be interesting if his argument is successful, and ironic that it would be happening in morally conservative Alberta.

 

[JoyfulC]

Alberta is conservative -- but not necessarily "morally" conservative.

There's a lot of evidence -- offered here and otherwise -- that municipalities such as Calgary aand Edmonton knew they were getting into the pimping business by licensing escorts.

One thing that really pisses me off is that escort applicants were photographed and fingerprinted -- essentially treated like criminals -- and when they questioned why, some were told that it was so that when their bodies were found murdered in ditches, they could be identified.

This is utter bullshit! Escorts probably have a lower rate of violent assault/murder than women in the general population. If this argument were valid, then cops should really be fingerprinting/mug shotting young brides -- because it's a lot more likely that a woman will be murdered by her husband or boyfriend than an escort will be by her customers -- in Alberta or elsewhere in Canada.

Augh! Sometimes the stigma really nauseates me!

..c..

 

[Dave in Phoenix]

Then you have the situation in Victoria B.C.

The many agencies all have incalls. Technically could violate both agency and bawdy related laws.

But the city seems happy with the fees $1000 I think for the agency and $300 per escort. The incalls are in commercial not residential areas/buildings..or the only residence on the block in the case of one agency/incall.

The police visit the incalls a few times a year simply to be sure all all licensed, and of legal age.

That seems to be the sensible solution - cities can decide what laws to spend time enforcing or not. Ultimately we need to get bawdy and agency related laws changed but most of the activists trying to so so want to also impose street hookers on the public by replealing the solication laws (or make ALL prostitution legal) which will never be accepted by the public if decrim includes street hookers soliciation laws. The common sense approach is keep the solication law - the streets are dangerous for street hookers - but get rid of or modify agency related laws and bawdy as most other countries have done.

 

[HaywoodJabloemy]

The decision was announced yesterday. Today's Calgary Herald says the agency operator faced 15 charges, and

...was found guilty of two counts of living off the avails of prostitution, one count of operating a common bawdy house and one count of using a cellphone when he was prohibited by the courts...

...was not sentenced to a prison term.

"The City of Calgary erroneously induced the accused to reasonably believe that deriving an income from an escort agency, where escorts are engaged in sex for money, was not contrary to the criminal law," Sullivan said, delivering his 81-page verdict...

Sullivan discharged the charge of violating a court order prohibiting cellphone use.
The only sentence... was for operating a bawdy house... In that case, the approximately 250 days he served before trial fulfilled the sentence.

Calgary Sun says the common bawdy-house charge

...resulted in a conviction since he wasn't led to believe it was lawful, the judge said.

 

[dreamer]

I would not get too excited about this ruling. It has been reported many times how the Calgary by-law was poorly written.

I am guessing but I assume that all Calgary has to do is officially notify all licensees and new licensees that their bylaw does not cover prostitution. Calgary argued that in the case, so if everyone is notified that the by-law does not regulate prostitution then no one can rely on this case. I think this is an example of a one time excuse.

By-laws, even poorly worded ones do not make something criminal legal. In this case the judge agreed with the fake excuse that he was mislead by the city.

They could appeal but I hope they do not and either kill the by-law or reword it. Barrie's bylaw specifically defines what the word escort means and they exclude sexual contact, so their by-law would not have the same problems Calgary's did.

It would be nice if our politicians just made escort agencies legal rather than trying to regulate them through the back door.

I have always argued, and still do, the no municipal by-law applies to prostitutes providing outcall services. There is nothing stopping them from regulating it, since the business is legal, however they all prefer to license the traditional definition of escort, ie going to social events, dinner etc etc.

 

[HaywoodJabloemy]

...no municipal by-law applies to prostitutes providing outcall services. There is nothing stopping them from regulating it, since the business is legal...

That would get the first city bold enough to try it mentioned on every national newscast and newspaper.

But somehow I doubt any city councillors would want to be seen as endorsing prostitution. Toronto is afraid to even discuss the idea of allowing any more than 25 of the $10,000 a year body-rub parlour licences, although they know there's dozens of MPs willing and able to pay.