Atlanta GA Prostitution Defense Lawyers
Despite changing attitudes in society about sexual behavior and the nature of consent, all aspects of sex work are illegal in the state of Georgia. If you get charged with prostitution, soliciting a sex worker, or enabling commercial sexual activity in any way, you can face criminal fines or incarceration, and in some cases, you may also need to register on the sex offender registry. People have strong feelings about anything related to sexuality, so in an effort to look like they are trying to keep our state free from allegedly shady actors, prosecutors may be quick to seek tough penalties for people accused of performing sexual acts for money, when those sex workers are in fact victims of exploitation and abuse. Whether you are accused to offering sex for money, soliciting sexual favors, or any other illegal action related to sex work, contact the Atlanta sex crimes defense lawyers at Ghanayem & Rayasam.
Exchanging Sex for Money is Against the Law in Georgia
When one person pays money to receive sexual favors from another, multiple people could face criminal charges. These are some crimes related to prostitution in Georgia:
- Prostitution- performing sexual favors in exchange for money, or offering or consenting to do so
- Soliciting prostitution – offering to pay for sexual favors
- Pimping and pandering – arranging a meeting between a sex worker and a client, transporting a person for the purpose of a sex work transaction, instructing someone to offer to engage in sex for money, and profiting financially from these activities
- Operating a house of prostitution – benefiting financially from the fact that commercial sex acts take place in a property you control
Intent is enough to make a person guilty of any of these crimes. If the police arrived at a house of prostitution before any sexual activity took place, the sex worker, the client, the pimp, and the owner of the house could all receive criminal charges.
Atlanta Prostitution Crimes Defense Lawyer
How serious the penalties are for crimes related to sex work depends on the circumstances. If an adult gets caught soliciting commercial sexual activity from another adult, they will both likely get misdemeanor charges and avoid jail time. Human trafficking and the exploitation of minors are much more serious charges, though. For example, if you get caught offering to pay a minor for sex, even if no physical contact takes place, you could still go to prison, be required to register as a sex offender, and be forbidden to associate with minors after your release from prison. Sex trafficking carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison if the victim is an adult, but the maximum penalty is 50 years in prison if the victim is a minor.
Atlanta Sex Work Crimes Defense Lawyers
The prostitution crimes defense lawyers at Ghanayem & Rayasam in Atlanta, Georgia can help you fight your criminal charges of sex work, soliciting prostitution, pimping and pandering, or operating a place of prostitution.