Prostitution targeted on Craigslist

[infernis]

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.--The eight women visited Long Island this summer along with vacationing families and other business travelers, staying in hotels and motels in commercial strips in middle-class suburbs like East Garden City, Hicksville and Woodbury. Their ages ranged from 20 to 32.

Three had come all the way from the San Francisco Bay area, one from Miami. Two lived less than 60 miles away, in Newark and Elizabeth, N.J., and two even closer, in Brooklyn.

All eight were arrested on prostitution charges here, snared in a new sting operation by the Nassau County police that focuses on Craigslist.org, the ubiquitous Web site best known for its employment and for-sale advertisements but which law enforcement officials say is increasingly also used to trade sex for money.

Source
http://news.com.com/Prostitution+targeted+on+Craigslist/2100-1030_3-6206073.html?tag=nefd.top

The Crazy thing is that they ARREST men also :-(

In Seattle, a covert police ad on Craigslist in November resulted in the arrests of 71 men, including a bank officer, a construction worker and a surgeon.

Really SUCKS if they do this is TO....

 

[3Tees]

There was a thread about this in the lounge. The TERB consensus is that this cannot happen in TO for the following reasons:

1) Prostitution is illegal in the US, so stings like this can be set-up and work, because the act of engaging in prostitution (i.e. exchanging money for sexual services) is illegal.

2) Prostitution is not against the law in Canada. PUBLIC communicaiton for it, and being found in a Bawdy House are.

3) In a "sting" operation, the location is NOT a Bawdy House (it is, in fact, a sting operation, or a regular room), and the communications about sexual acts occur in a private setting (i.e. in the sting room), not a public one. As such, no laws have been broken.

Based on this a "sting" operation would not work here.

 

[Rorschach]

Some years ago I believe the London Ontario Police tried to pull a sting operation on an out-call escort. As I recall, the judge tossed the case for the very reasons 3Tees outlined.

 

[Horny_69]

Another thing, girls in hotels are there "seeing a friend" or whatever it may be..how can they prove otherwise? ads? they dont stand in court..too much that will not allow it to go forth.

now places that are houses, or condos used by SP's that is a different story as those are considered BAWDY houses..those are the ones that if are around TOO LONG and dont pay a few people off..are shut down eventually..

 

[Urban-Cowboy]

Yes but the OP was about a sting/trap that was set up by police to draw people in. The difference in canada is that a sting/trap like that would not work for various legal reasons.

That is not to say that places are not "busted".

From what I have seen the places that are usually busted are

- in markham (hugh crackdown)
- annoy the neighboors who call
- have underage or illegal workers.

The more reputable places have very little to worry about. This can change of course.

 

[5andman]

That's what TERB is for!

 

[Funny Bunny]

I think we should support the Sex Professionals of Canada's effort to decriminalize bawdy house, living on the avails, and the communicating laws. Here is their website: http://spoc.ca/ . Prostituition is obviously going to happen because it is natural. It even happens where it is illegal. So, better decriminalize acts that go along with it so that everyone will be happy.

 

[Hard Idle]

Why do people keep posting stuff about LE activity in Quakerstan? What's it got to do with us?

 

[banshie]

I believe the rules on what constitutes solicitation are the same wherever it happens, incalls, outcalls or on the street. It's all about who mentions money first. If an SP offers sex to an undercover cop and states a price then she is nailed. If I offer a street walker money, and she is a cop, then I am nailed. (Trust me, it did happen to me years ago. Never again!)

 

[Rockslinger]

In Seattle, a covert police ad on Craigslist in November resulted in the arrests of 71 men, including a bank officer, a construction worker and a surgeon.

A bank officer, a construction worker and a surgeon, these are really dangerous people and society must be protected from them.

 

[warwagon]

not me

I think we should support the Sex Professionals of Canada's effort to decriminalize bawdy house, living on the avails, and the communicating laws. Here is their website: http://spoc.ca/ . Prostituition is obviously going to happen because it is natural. It even happens where it is illegal. So, better decriminalize acts that go along with it so that everyone will be happy.

I think I should hobby on, as anonymously as possible, mind my own business, and conduct myself in such a way (respect, discretion,moderation) as to not find myself on the LE radar.




ww

(PS - Interesting new word BTW. Prostituition. How apropos is that!)

 

[3Tees]

I believe the rules on what constitutes solicitation are the same wherever it happens, incalls, outcalls or on the street. It's all about who mentions money first. If an SP offers sex to an undercover cop and states a price then she is nailed. If I offer a street walker money, and she is a cop, then I am nailed. (Trust me, it did happen to me years ago. Never again!)

I'm not going to doubt your experience, but I think you have the law a little confused. You say you offered an undercover cop posing as a streetwalker money and were busted. If you did it in a public place or picked her up in a public place, like on the street, then you were busted for "communication for the purposes of prostitution", because that communication happened in a public place. Similarly, if a streetwalker offers sex for money to an undercover cop on a street, or in a public location, the same charge applies. That much is true.

However, there is no "solicitation" law as you put it, and outside of communication in a public place, it is not about who mentions money first. I wish people would actually read the Criminal Code - it's not a difficult read. The charges that we, as hobbyists, are subject to are:

- Communication for the purposes of solicitation, and the code says this must occur in a public place.

- Being Found-in a Bawdy House. This is what makes incalls "illegal" - but according to the code, it has nothing to do with "who mentions sex first" - it has to do with being found in what police/the courts consider to be a place where sex is exchanged for money. The police investigate (however they do it, using decoys, undercovers, etc... and then they convince a judge that a location is a bawdy house and then raid it)

- As for outcalls, the Criminal Code does not have a provision against this. Communications concerning money for sex occur in a private setting like a house, and a residential house or hotel room are not Bawdy Houses.

 

[Robio]

Ya but that is the USA they do not enjoy our higher level of freedom

 

[kk56]

If I lived in Seattle I would just go over Vancouver to hobby.
I live 500 km South of Toronto, and my pleasure to drive there.
I can not stand what is going on in the US re abuse of governement power, even compared to Canada.
Well, going home to US gives me a break. regeneration, and necessary appetite for my next trip.

 

[Seattle]

Seattle

If I lived in Seattle I would just go over Vancouver to hobby.
I live 500 km South of Toronto, and my pleasure to drive there.
I can not stand what is going on in the US re abuse of governement power, even compared to Canada.
Well, going home to US gives me a break. regeneration, and necessary appetite for my next trip.

Exactly! Thank god I listen to my own advice, don't hobby in Seattle...just go to Canada.

 

[hamilton.53]

It seems that most L.E. activity is in response to public pressure.