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Maryland Prostitution Lawyer

Prostitution, solicitation and related crimes such as human trafficking are serious offenses in Maryland. Even requesting the services of a prostitute without taking any further action could result in a large fine and a year of jail time, while more serious offenses such as profiting from prostitution could lead to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000. With the help of a proven, qualified Maryland prostitution attorney, you can fight these charges using the strongest legal defenses available, potentially negotiating a reduction in your charges or even acquittal. En Español.

Definitions for Prostitution and Related Crimes

Maryland state code § 11-301 outlines the definitions pertinent to crimes related to prostitution and solicitation. These words are defined below:

  • Assignation – Making an engagement or appointment for prostitution, or any act intended to lead to prostitution
  • Prostitution – The performance of vaginal intercourse, sexual contact or any other sexual act for hire
  • Sexual act – Fellatio, cunnilingus, analingus, anal intercourse, or any act involving sexual penetration or designed for sexual arousal or ratification, according to state code § 3-301
  • Sexually explicit performance – A private or public, videotaped, recorded, photographed or live act in which the subject is partially or completely nude, and is produced with the intention of sexually arousing the viewers or patrons
  • Solicit – Commanding, requesting, encouraging, inducing, advising or urging another individual

Although these definitions seem rather concrete, actual acts of alleged prostitution or solicitation often leave much open to interpretation. This is one reason why it’s so crucial to have the assistance of an experienced Maryland prostitution lawyer at your side throughout your trial.

Effect of Prostitution Subtitle

According to Maryland state code § 11-302, any person charged with a crime of prostitution or solicitation can also charged with, prosecuted and sentenced for any other crime falling under its applicable law. For example, charges of rape and/or assault could be combined with a charge of solicitation of prostitution depending on the circumstances of the case.

Human Trafficking

Maryland state code § 11-303(a) covers the crime of human trafficking. According to this statute, it is illegal for a person to knowingly:

  • Take a person to a place for the cause of prostitution
  • Place or harbor another individual in a location for the purpose of prostitution
  • Encourage, entice, induce or persuade another person to be taken to a location for prostitution
  • Receive consideration to place another in a location with the intent of causing them to engage in assignation or prostitution
  • Engage in a scheme or repeated course of conduct with the intention of making another person believe that they will be seriously restrained or physically harmed if they refuse to participate in a sexually explicit performance
  • Possess, confiscate, remove, conceal or destroy a government ID, immigration document or passport of another individual for the purposes of prostitution

In addition, state code § 11-303(a)(2) makes it illegal for a parent, guardian or permanent custodian of an individual to consent to detaining or taking that individual somewhere for the purpose of prostitution.
The penalty for violating state code § 11-303(a) is a misdemeanor conviction, as well as a fine of up to $5,000.00, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
The penalty for violating this same state code if the victim is a minor is a felony conviction, as well as a fine of up to $15,000.00 and a prison term lasting up to 25 years.
These same penalties apply to individuals who benefit financially from acts described in code § 11-303(a), as well as those who conspire with, abet or aid other individuals in the perpetration of these acts.

Receiving Earnings of Prostitute

Maryland state criminal code § 11-304 covers receiving earnings of a prostitute. According to this code, it is illegal to receive or acquire proceeds or money from the earnings of an individual engaged in prostitution, so long as the intention of this act is to:

  • Promote a crime of prostitution or solicitation
  • Profit from a crime of prostitution or solicitation
  • Disguise or conceal the control, ownership, source, location or nature of proceeds of a crime of prostitution or solicitation

The penalty associated with a violation of state code § 11-304(a) is a misdemeanor, as well as a fine of up to $10,000.00 and a prison sentence lasting no longer than 10 years. Cases such as these can be extremely complex and convoluted, which is why hiring an experienced Maryland prostitution attorney will greatly improve your chances of receiving a favorable outcome in court.

The Abduction of Child Under 16

According to Maryland state code § 11-305, it is illegal to do the following for the purposes of committing prostitution or solicitation:

  • Entice, persuade or aid in the persuasion of a person under the age of 16 from his or her home, or from the person’s parent or guardian
  • Knowingly harbor or aid in the harboring of a person under 16 years of age who has been enticed or persuaded to do the things described above

According to code § 11-305(b), the penalty associated with abducting a person under the age of 16 for one of these purposes is a misdemeanor, a fine of up to $5,000 and a prison term not to exceed 10 years making it important to consult with a Maryland prostitution lawyer.

House of Prostitution

Maryland state code § 11-306 deals with crimes involving a house of prostitution, as well as many prostitution and solicitation crimes in general. According to this code, it is illegal to knowingly:

  • Engage in assignation or prostitution of any kind
  • Operate, maintain, occupy, set up or keep a structure, conveyance or building for the purpose of assignation or prostitution
  • Allow a structure, conveyance or building under your control to be used for assignation or prostitution
  • Allow another individual into a conveyance, structure or building for assignation or prostitution
  • Solicit or procure for assignation or prostitution, or offer to do so without actually following through

The penalty for all of these crimes is a misdemeanor, as well as a fine of up to $500.00 and a jail sentence of up to one year.

Help From our Maryland Prostitution Attorneys

Crimes related to solicitation and prostitution, especially those that involve human trafficking, minors and/or receiving earnings resulting from prostitution, must be taken extremely seriously in Maryland. If you’ve been charged with any of these crimes, turn to a veteran Maryland prostitution lawyer. He or she can use in-depth knowledge of Maryland law and every available legal resource in order to work hard to create a strong defense for your case.

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