The world of prostitution has changed dramatically in recent years as those activities have become more and more available online. Explicit services are offered in several places on the Internet, and law enforcement authorities are well aware of these offerings.
At the Meryhew Law Group we are seeing a growing number of sting operations carried out by various police departments in the region as they turn to these online sources as a way to entice potential customers into their sting operation. These stings usually originate on craigslist. We have also seen a new type of sting that involves the police running a massage spa then offering prostitution services to individuals who walk in.
There has also been increased pressure from elected officials to prosecute these types of cases to crackdown on sex trafficking. This has resulted in prosecutors and city attorney filing more of these cases.
But changes in the laws and in the ways that prosecutors and police agencies approach prostitution charges have changed all of this. Add to that the reduction in data privacy in our lives, and the risks of serious life-long consequences from a prostitution arrest are now very real.
This re-naming of the ordinance has caused various collateral consequences, including potential employers thinking it is a felony when it is still a simple misdemeanor, or the lowest level of possible punishment a person can face in the State of Washington. Our lawyers have extensive experience working with clients charged with various prostitution related offenses, including being a prostitute, patronizing a prostitute, promoting prostitution, permitting prostitution, and promoting travel for prostitution.
