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Facing Prostitution or Solicitation Charges in Ohio? Call LHA. Free Consults: (614) 500-3836.

In Ohio, solicitation of a person over 18 years of age for prostitution is usually considered a third-degree misdemeanor sex crime. If you are charged with solicitation, you may face jail time, fines, a driver’s license suspension, community service, and other life-altering penalties. Fortunately, a solicitation lawyer at Luftman, Heck & Associates may be able to improve your situation through a strong defense strategy. Call us at (614) 500-3836 today if you are facing any type of solicitation charge.

How is Solicitation Defined in Ohio?

According to Ohio Rev. Code § 2907.241, solicitation for prostitution occurs when someone knowingly and intentionally attempts to persuade, compel, induce, or encourage someone to participate in sexual activity in order to receive a form of compensation.

Penalties for Solicitation

In most cases, soliciting prostitution is a third-degree felony. If you face a soliciting charge, you may be punished with up to 60 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $500. In the event the prostitution does occur, you may be charged with compelling prostitution which is a third-degree felony that can lead to up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

If you compel someone who is between 16 and 18 years of age to participate in prostitution, you may be charged with a second-degree felony, between two and eight years and prison, and/or a fine of up to $15,000. Compelling someone who is less than 16 years of age for prostitution is a first-degree felony and may result in up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $20,000.

You would only be required to register as a sex offender if the prostitute was a minor (regardless of whether or not you knew) or if you believed the prostitute was a minor (whether or not they actually were).

How a Solicitation Conviction Can Affect Your Future

If you are convicted of soliciting, additional potential issues include:

  • Maintaining your current employment
  • Licensure issues in some professions
  • Difficulty getting a good job in the future
  • Difficulty and possible denial in immigration and naturalization proceedings

If you are convicted of soliciting, your criminal background can be damaged for the rest of your life. No matter what the circumstances were in your case, you run the risk of being considered someone who either sold yourself or paid for sex. Therefore, it is critical that you contact a solicitation lawyer to give your prostitution or soliciting charge the level of importance it deserves.

Why You Should Hire a Solicitation Lawyer

A solicitation lawyer at Luftman, Heck & Associates will take an aggressive and comprehensive approach when representing your solicitation charge. We’ll determine what mistakes the police or detectives made during their investigation, whether your arrest was lawful and any other legal issues that can be raised on your behalf. We’ll request police reports, witness statements, video, audio, and other investigative notes from the prosecutor so that we could look for weaknesses in their case.

Some of the most common defense strategies a solicitation lawyer may use include:

  • There was a mistake. You may have had no real intent to solicit and the entire situation is a misunderstanding.
  • The agreement or offer was too ambiguous. There must be a clear offer or agreement to exchange money or something valuable in order for solicitation to be present. If there was no clear offer or agreement for compensation, there may not be sufficient evidence to charge you with solicitation.
  • There was no sexual conduct or payment exchange. If no sexual activity occurred or there was no payment exchange, we may argue that solicitation did not occur.

It’s important to note that it is usually more challenging for a prosecutor to prove solicitation than prostitution. They will have to gather evidence to prove that an invitation, ad, or offer fits the definition of solicitation. For an example, you may offer companionship services with no implication that there will be any sexual conduct.

In order to prove their case, a prosecutor must demonstrate that there is an act that took place where someone willfully agreed to use the services of a prostitute. The handling over money or a discussion over a specific meeting at a certain location after the expectation of a sexual act in exchange for money or something else of value may support their case. They may use Ohio Backpage or Craigslist to help them find evidence.

Contact an Experienced Solicitation Lawyer

If you’ve been charged with soliciting a prostitute, it’s important to know what you’re up against. If you have any questions or if you need a competent criminal defense attorney to fight for you in court, please contact Luftman, Heck & Associates at (614) 500-3836.

Penalties

Prostitution

General Penalties
This is a misdemeanor of the third degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A jail sentence of up to 60 days
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $500
You were HIV-positive and it occurred after July 1, 1996
This is a felony of the third degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A prison term of nine months to three years
  • A fine of $5,000 to $10,000
You were HIV-positive and it occurred before July 1, 1996
This is a felony of the second degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A prison term of two to eight years
  • A fine of $7,500 to $15,000

Loitering to engage in solicitation

General Penalties
This is a misdemeanor of the third degree and carries the following penalties::

  • A jail sentence of up to 60 days
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $500
You were HIV-positive and it occurred after July 1, 1996
This is a felony of the fifth degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A prison term of six months to one year
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $2,500
You were HIV-positive and it occurred before July 1, 1996
This is a felony of the fourth degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A prison term of six to 18 months
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $5,000

Frequently Asked Questions

If I was convicted of soliciting a prostitute, would I have to register as a sex offender?
No, you would not have to, unless:

  • The prostitute was a minor, regardless of whether or not you knew
  • You believed the prostitute was a minor, regardless of whether or not they really were

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