Utah Sex Crime Defense | Prostitution Charges

One of the most strongly entrenched morally based crimes in our legal profession is prostitution. While other morally based offenses like adultery and sodomy have been eradicated, prostitution continues to be illegal; mostly due to the misconception of legislatures that think that making prostitution illegal will rid it from our society. While most sex crimes are geared toward sexual encounters that were involuntary or involved a minor, a prostitution charge requires neither of those things and in fact a common scenario is between consenting adults. This leads to the discussion over what the criminalization of prostitution is actual trying to protect.

The Crime of Prostitution in Utah

In Utah, there are three main ways a person can be charged with prostitution, engaging in a sexual activity for a view, living in a house of prostitution, or loitering in a public place with the intent of selling sexual services. In a lot of scenarios those picked up on prostitution charges are then later targeted by police as a prostitute and will continually face legal troubles as they continue to support themselves through the sex trade.

Prostitution Penalties

An individual if convicted of prostitution could spend up to six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. If the individual is a repeat offender the charge could be enhanced and they could be facing up to a year in jail. Furthermore, there could be probation issues if the subsequent offense takes place within the normal 12 month probationary period of the previous conviction.

Defending Yourself | Utah Criminal Defense Attorney

If you have been charged with prostitution then you are likely already in a tough situation in life, at Salcido Law Firm we understand that and we work hard to help our clients put themselves in a situation to better their life and get out of the legal system. Criminal behavior carries with it a negative stigma in our society but our attorneys understand that you most likely do not feel like a criminal. However, even though you didn’t directly harm someone as in a violent crime like an assault a prostitution charge can still be very serious and have seriously negative consequences on your life. It is important that you have a qualified attorney to help you in this matter, call or email Salcido Law Firm today where our attorneys can help you defend yourself.