A conviction on prostitution and solicitation charges can entail punishment that includes jail or prison time, and a mandatory fine. Certain convictions require registration with the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB), which severely limits employment, housing and educational opportunities.

Cracking down on human trafficking and child trafficking involving sexual servitude are also major initiatives recently taken on by state and federal task forces across Massachusetts. Law enforcement operatives are investigating chat rooms, online solicitations and ads, massage parlors and other venues.

If you have been charged with any of these crimes, talk to a skilled Quincy defense lawyer at Sweeney and Associates, LLC, as soon as possible. We offer a free consultation.

Prostitution Defense in Quincy, MA

Is Prostitution Legal in Massachusetts? Understanding the Law

Performing or engaging in sexual conduct for a fee, also known as prostitution, is not legal in the state of Massachusetts. In addition, offering to engage in sexual conduct in return for a fee is also illegal, which means whether you are the person giving or receiving the fee, you can be charged with a crime.

Prostitution & Trafficking Penalties - Know the Consequences

More and more people accused of "pimping" prostitutes are also being charged with human trafficking sex crimes. Prostitutes now have more reason to accuse alleged pimps of coercive or oppressive actions because it is a defense to charges of being a prostitute if the person was forced or coerced into the situation. In Massachusetts, the penalties for a conviction on a human sex trafficking charge include:

• Up to 20 years in state prison but at least a mandatory minimum of five years in state prison if the victim is over age 18
• Up to life in state prison but at least a mandatory minimum of five years in state prison if the victim is under age 18
• Required sex offender registration
• Up to a $25,000 fine
• Subsequent offense: up to life in prison but at least a mandatory minimum of 10 years in state prison

Defending Against Prostitution Charges in Quincy, MA

At Sweeney & Associates, LLC, our Quincy criminal lawyers have defended clients in Quincy, Canton, Greater Boston area, and throughout Massachusetts facing all types of serious sex crime charges for more than 20 years. Our attorneys fight felony and misdemeanor sex charges in state and federal courts.

If you made an offer or an agreement to engage in a sexual act, or received any compensation for soliciting a prostitute, you need to hire a dedicated legal defense team immediately. The penalties you face aren't light, but they can be mitigated and possibly dismissed with the right defense. Being charged with a prostitution or solicitation crime can put you and your family in the media spotlight especially when multiple people are arrested as part of a coordinated undercover investigation. Keeping our clients out of the media spotlight and being as discrete as possible is always our main priority. 

Penalties for prostitution and solicitation:

• Prostitution - Up to six months in jail
• Solicitation of a prostitute - Up to 2.5 years in jail
• Detaining, or drugging to detain, a person in a place for prostitution - Up to five years in state prison, or a minimum of one year and up to 2.5 years in jail
• Being the owner or assisting in the management of a place that causes another person to engage in unlawful sexual intercourse - Up to five years in state prison with a mandatory minimum of two years
• Enticing away a person for prostitution or sexual intercourse - Up to three years in state prison or up to one year in jail
• Sharing or living off earnings of a prostitute - Mandatory minimum five years in state prison
• Sharing or living off earnings of a minor prostitute - Mandatory minimum of five years in state prison
• Inducing a minor into prostitution - Mandatory minimum of three years and up to five years in state prison

Some of the solicitation and prostitution crimes listed above require you to register as a sex offender upon conviction. The penalties for the above can also include paying a fine up to $5,000, depending on the type of crime for which you were convicted.

Contacting an attorney who is knowledgeable in these areas will prove invaluable. We are well aware of the severe consequences that accompany these types of sex crimes, and we will defend your case zealously to try and avoid a conviction that has a mandatory minimum sentence or that requires you to register as a sex offender.

Contact Our Quincy Defense Team Today

Please contact us online or call us at (617) 300-0212 to speak with one of our lawyers confidentially. We are responsive 24/7, offer fixed and hourly billing rates, and accept all major credit cards.