Texas Prostitution Charges Brought Using Internet WebSites

Last month  an Austin attorney was arrested for Solicitation of Prostitution. The arrest warrant alleges that the defendant responded to an on-line ad and spoke to an undercover detective and made a $60 for sex agreement. It is also alleged that the defendant then went to a motel room and made the same agreement with an undercover officer and was arrested. Texas Prostitution charges are class b misdemeanours that carry up to six months in jail. If a defendant may also be eligible for deferred probation depending on previous criminal history.

Texas prostitution charges are very serious and can have a negative effect on a person’s career, family life, and even where they live. Today the internet is every where and that goes for prostitution also. The internet is full of advertisements for escort services. Many of these are fronts for call girls looking to set up dates of prostitution. Many police agencies now set up sting operations targeting men who are seeking sex over the internet. They do so by creating a fake escort advertisement over the internet then recording all phone calls coming in.

The second part of the operation involves the target coming to  a location (usually a motel room),and agreeing to a date of prostitution with an under cover officer. As soon as an agreement is made other officers move in and make an arrest. The law allows officers to pose as prostitutes and lie about their identity. The law also allows law enforcement to secretly record the conversations as long as the conversation occur between an under officer and the target.

An arrest for prostitution charges does not mean an automatic conviction. There are many defenses that may be available. Often times the alleged agreement for a date of prostitution is not as clear as the police report it to be. Any recording of discussions should be scrutinized.

If there is a strong case for the prosecution there are often other ways to dispose of a prostitution case that can avoid conviction. Every District Attorney’s Office has a different stance on how they deal with solicitation of prostitution cases. Much of it depends of the defendant’s particular back ground.

If you find your self or a loved one facing Texas prostitution charges consult with an experienced Texas prostitution attorney as soon as possible to discuss the facts of your cases. Then you can be advised to any defences and how to best proceed though the criminal justice system.