If so, hiring a criminal defense attorney is the best thing you can do to fight these allegations. The team at Brandt Kettwick Defense have over 30 years of experience handling prostitution allegations. We have successfully defended these charges and have secured not guilty verdicts in jury trials, dismissals, and negotiated significantly reduced charges.
Prostitution charges can range from misdemeanors to felonies depending on whether there are prior convictions, the ages of the alleged victims involved, whether a person was acting as a patron, and whether there was an offer or an agreement made in a public place.
Hiring, offering to hire, or agreeing to hire another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact, or being hired, offering to be hired, or agreeing to be hired by another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.
Prostitution can, therefore, encompass a variety of actions. These actions can be physical, sexual, or merely verbal (even if electronic). The possible consequences of a prostitution conviction can include significant jail or prison time and fines. In addition to these consequences you could also face collateral consequences if you are convicted of prostitution, including sex offender registry and making a notation of the conviction on a person’s driving record.
In addition to hiring or engaging in prostitution, there are also laws against housing prostitutes, acting as a prostitute, and others.
Let us work with you to develop a plan to protect you and your future.
Contact us today to schedule your free consultation at 763-421-6366.
All penalties listed below are the maximum penalty that can be imposed under Minnesota Law unless otherwise specified.
Subdivision 1
Subdivision 1a
Subdivision 2
Subdivision 3
Subdivision 6
Subdivision 7
PATRONS; PROSTITUTES; HOUSING INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN PROSTITUTION; PENALTIES (Minn. Stat. § 609.324)
Subdivision 1.Engaging in, hiring, or agreeing to hire minor to engage in prostitution; penalties.
Subd. 1a.Housing unrelated minor engaged in prostitution; penalties.
Subd. 2. Prostitution in public place; penalty for patrons.
Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 4, a person who is convicted of violating this
Subd. 3. General prostitution crimes; penalties for patrons.
The court may waive the mandatory community work service if it makes specific, written findings that the community work service is not feasible or appropriate under the circumstances of the case.
Subd. 6. Prostitution in public place; penalty for prostitutes.
Subd. 7. General prostitution crimes; penalties for prostitutes.
Business of Prostitution: any arrangement between or organization of two or more persons, acting other than as prostitutes or patrons, who commit prostitution.
Patron: an individual who engages in prostitution by hiring, offering to hire, or agreeing to hire another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.
Place of Prostitution: a house or other place where prostitution is practiced.
Prostitute: an individual who engages in prostitution by being hired, offering to be hired, or agreeing to be hired by another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.
Prostitution: hiring, offering to hire, or agreeing to hire another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact, or being hired, offering to be hired, or agreeing to be hired by another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.
Sexual Contact: the intentional touching by an individual of a prostitute’s intimate parts or intentional touching by a prostitute of another individual’s intimate part for the purpose of satisfying sexual impulses.
Sexual Penetration: sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal intercourse, or any intrusion however slight into the genital or anal openings of an individual’s body by any part of another individual’s body or any object used for the purpose of satisfying sexual impulses. Emission of semen is not necessary.
Public Place: a public street or sidewalk, a pedestrian skyway system, a hotel, motel, steam room, sauna, massage parlor, shopping mall and other public shopping areas, or other place of public accommodation, a place licensed to sell intoxicating liquor, wine, nonintoxicating malt beverages, or food, or a motor vehicle located on a public street, alley, or parking lot ordinarily used by or available to the public though not used as a matter of right and a driveway connecting such a parking lot with a street or highway.
What if no money was exchanged?
Prostitution is defined as hiring, offering, or agreeing to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact. Therefore, a person can be charged with prostitution without exchanging money.
Will I have to register as a sex offender if I am convicted?
If a person is convicted for prostitution charges involving soliciting a minor, that person will be required to register as a “predatory offender.” Other prostitution charges do not automatically entail sex offender registry.
What if I did not know how old the other person was?
Knowledge of the age of the other person is part of the intent requirement for a prostitution conviction.
What if I really just wanted a massage?
The State must prove that a person offered, agreed to, or engaged in, sexual contact or sexual penetration. A prostitution conviction cannot prevail without proving this.
Anytime you are charged with a crime, you should do two things:
1. Contact a criminal defense attorney; and,
2. Do NOT talk to the cops.
Only in extremely rare circumstances do we recommend communicating with the cops and any decision to do so should be made with the advice of counsel and with an attorney present.
