When an individual deliberately engages in sexual acts for a fee, he or she is committing the crime of prostitution. Even the solicitation of sexual relations while in a public place for a fee, regardless of whether or not money actually changes hands, may be enough to warrant an arrest on charges of prostitution. If you have been arrested for prostitution, and it is your first offense, you will be facing a maximum of 180 days in jail along with fines up to $2,000. Additional offenses can carry longer jail sentences, more expensive fines and a change in classification from a misdemeanor to a felony offense.
There are at least three plausible defenses against prostitution charges, and a Fort Worth criminal attorney from my firm will be able to help you determine which defense you may be able to employ to fight the charges against you. The first defense can be beneficial in cases where the evidence collected against you was gathered during an undercover police operation. In this instance, you may have been the victim of entrapment. Entrapment is the illegal act of law enforcement officers actually encouraging or urging an individual to commit a crime, even when that individual is reluctant to do so. If you were the victim of entrapment, my firm will work hard to see that sufficient evidence is gathered so as to build an effective defense on your behalf.
In cases where no money exchanges hands for the solicited or performed sexual act, I could vehemently argue that no crime was indeed committed. Without the exchange of money, it is plausible that the encounter was simply two consenting adults engaging in or arranging a sexual encounter. A third plausible defense against charges of prostitution is that you were compelled to commit the crime under extreme duress. Under Texas state law it is illegal to compel another person to promote or engage in prostitution. If you have been placed under duress and compelled to engage in sexual acts for a fee, you may have a powerful defense against charges of prostitution.
If you have been arrested and charged with prostitution in Texas, I strongly recommend you contact The Law Office of Samuel R. Terry, P.C. right away. When you contact my firm I will take the time to personally review the charges and evidence against you, determine whether one of these defenses, or other strategy, may be beneficial in your case, and I will work diligently to devise an aggressive defense case to help you get your charges reduced or completely dismissed.