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The crime of prostitution is a serious and very embarrassing criminal charge to be faced with. In Florida, prostitution is defined as “the giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire.” However, the crime of prostitution is not limited the simple hiring of prostitutes by so-called johns. To the contrary, the term prostitution includes a wide variety of offenses such as…
- procuring persons under the age of 18 for prostitution;
- forcing, compelling, or coercing another to become a prostitute
- sex trafficking;
- the selling or buying of minors into sex trafficking;
- deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution; or
- renting space to be used for lewdness, assignation, or prostitution.
Penalties
In Florida, you can be arrested, charged, and convicted of a prostitution crime whether you are accused of being a prostitute, pimp, or john. The punishments for prostitution crimes become increasingly severe for repeat offenses.- 1st Offense: The charge of 1st offense prostitution is a 2nd degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in the county jail, up to one year of reporting probation, and/or up to $500 in fines.
- 2nd Offense: The charge of 2nd offense prostitution is a 1st degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in the county jail, up to 1 year of reporting probation, and/or up to $1,000 in fines.
- 3rd or Subsequent Offense: The charge of a 3rd or subsequent offense of prostitution is a 3rd degree felony offense. It is punishable by up to 5 years in Florida state prison, up to 5 years of reporting probation, and/or up to $5,000 in fines.
- Other Offenses: Some other prostitution-related offenses are charged as extremely serious felony offenses. Sex trafficking, for example, can be charged either as a 2nd degree felony (punishable by up to 15 years in state prison) or as a 1st degree felony (punishable by up to 30 years in prison).