Major Prostitution Sting in North Texas Makes Headlines

 Posted on January 25, 2023 in Criminal Defense

A local scandal in Collin County, Texas is making headlines. At least 46 men have been arrested and face charges of solicitation of prostitution after a large network of legal agencies worked to catch the men, using undercover police officers posing as sex workers online. Those arrested included a firefighter, a pastor, a high school teacher, and even a semi-professional hockey player. The arrests targeted men who agreed to meet at local hotels for paid sex. 

Charges of prostitution can mean your reputation and standing in your community and family are changed forever. However, a charge is not the same as a conviction, and every person in this case and every other sex crime case is innocent until proven guilty. An experienced Texas sex crimes defense attorney can help fight charges of soliciting a prostitute, as well as any other sex crime charges you may face. 

What Are the Penalties for Hiring or Soliciting a Prostitute in Texas? 

Texas recently updated its state laws to increase the severity of punishments for crimes related to prostitution, including soliciting a prostitute, whether or not any sexual conduct actually takes place. If you are convicted of knowingly offering or agreeing to receive money from someone else in exchange for sexual conduct, the consequences you face vary in scope depending on the circumstances of the crime. Solicitation, or the act of offering to pay someone for sexual conduct, is a state jail felony unless the defendant has prior convictions or the target of the solicitation is known or believed to be under 18, in which case the offense can be a third- or second-degree felony. 

However, other crimes related to prostitution—such as pimping (offering someone else for sex), promoting or facilitating prostitution online, managing multiple prostitutes, or compelling a minor to engage in prostitution—carry more serious penalties. It is important to note that, even if you never actually engaged in sexual conduct, simply taking money from an ATM, picking up someone offering sex in exchange for money, or meeting someone in an agreed-upon location for sex can all be used as evidence for a successful charge of prostitution. 

Call a Texas Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer

If you have been accused of soliciting or hiring a prostitute, your reputation and career depend on your next moves. Get the help of a Frisco, TX sex crimes defense attorney who has experience defending clients in high-profile cases. Work with The Crowder Law Firm, P.C. by calling us today at 214-544-0061. We offer discreet, aggressive criminal defense, and we will work hard to secure the most favorable outcome in your case. 

Sources: 

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/youth-pastor-teacher-among-46-arrested-in-southlake-frisco-prostitution-sting/3176401/

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.43.htm