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Being charged with prostitution not only affects you, but it can also affect your career, your family, and your reputation. A Vice Officer’s only job is to seek out and charge individuals with solicitation of prostitution. These police officers have been known to pose as prostitutes looking to engage in sex for money as well as targeting people who may be in a situation where they would agree to accept money for sexual favors.
Most Vice Officers will work in an undercover capacity. Officers have been known to frequent strip clubs, massage parlors, and truck stops in an attempt to solicit and arrest people for prostitution. It is also common for officers to respond to escort advertisements. Once an officer has targeted an individual, they will attempt to request sexual favors for money. The law requires there be an agreement to exchange sex for money. Implied agreements do not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Absent an explicit agreement, the State may have a hard time proving their case and obtaining a guilty verdict.
The punishment for prostitution depends on whether or not the accused has any prior convictions for prostitution. The first offense is classified as a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in the county jail and/or a fine up to $2,000. The second and third offense is classified as a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in the county jail and/or a fine up to $4,000. The fourth and any subsequent offense is classified as a state jail felony and is punishable by confinement in a the State Jail Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a term of not less than 6 months and not more than 2 years and a fine of up to $10,000.
Dustan Neyland has years of experience handling Prostitution cases in Harris County, Montgomery County, and all across the State of Texas. If you have been accused of Prostitution anywhere in the State of Texas, contact us today to schedule a free in-person consultation at our office in Kingwood, TX, conveniently located within a short drive from Houston, TX and Conroe, TX.
Contact us at (281) 312-0155 to schedule a free consultation.