Patronizing Prostitutes in Connecticut
Fairfield County’s “Gold Coast” of wealthy coastal communities and towns like Greenwich, Darien, Westport and Fairfield have attracted the escort and prostitution service industries for years. While many people strongly believe that the government should not have the authority to control what adults can and cannot do with their bodies, the fact of the matter is that Prostitution and Patronizing Prostitution are crimes in the State of Connecticut. As the best Prostitution criminal lawyers in Stamford and Greenwich Connecticut have seen, Prostitution arrests are aggressively pursued in Connecticut and can cause personal and professional havoc and humiliation to the so-called “Johns” who patronize prostitution.
Connecticut’s Vegas-style Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos also make the State more vulnerable to the prostitution and escort businesses. As a result, wealthy businessmen and the venues they frequent have become unfair targets for prostitution stings. These stings, conducted by law enforcement, regularly target Connecticut casinos, massage parlors, high-end hotels and bars, and websites such as sugardaddy.com and seekingarrangements.com. So if you are arrested in Stamford, Greenwich or Norwalk Connecticut for Patronizing Prostitution under CGS 53a-83, you should contact a top Stamford criminal lawyer to discuss the chances of getting your Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution arrest dismissed as quickly as possible.
Patronizing & Soliciting Prostitution under — Definition
Top Westport and Darien Connecticut criminal lawyers recognize that Patronizing Prostitution is a Class A misdemeanor, as codified in Connecticut General Statutes Section 53a-83. According to Connecticut statutory law, you can be arrested in Stamford or Greenwich for Patronizing Prostitution if you pay, or even just agree to pay (verbally or electronically), a fee to someone with whom you have arranged to engage in sexual conduct. Paying a third party to engage in sexual conduct with another is also prohibited under Connecticut law. Paying after the sexual contact is also illegal—that is, If you pay a fee in compensation for past sexual activity, then you can also be arrested in Stamford Connecticut for Patronizing Prostitution under CGS 53a-83. And what most people do not realize is that soliciting an individual to engage in sexual conduct in exchange for a sum of money, even if you just inquire as to how much it will be, is also illegal under C.G.S. 53a-83.
Patronizing & Soliciting Prostitution from a Motor Vehicle
As the top Greenwich and Stamford Connecticut sex crimes criminal lawyers know, there’s a little-known subdivision of Connecticut Prostitution law—C.G.S. 53a-83a—that makes it illegal to Patronize Prostitution from your motor vehicle. Click here for the full statute. Really? The days of prostitutes and pimps crowding Connecticut street corners are long gone with the popularity of the internet and prostitution websites. Clearly the law has not kept up with technology. But for those “Johns” who want to troll the streets “Pretty Woman”-style….if you are in a car, and you make an agreement with a prostitute or a third party to engage in sexual conduct from your car, whether the third party is a pimp or prostitute, then you can be arrested for Patronizing a Prostitute from a Motor Vehicle under 53a-83a.
What Are the Statutory Penalties for Patronizing Prostitution Arrests in Connecticut?
Whether you are arrested in Stamford Connecticut for Patronizing a Prostitute in a massage parlor, Patronizing Prostitution from a Motor Vehicle, or soliciting Prostitution from escorts on the internet, the penalties for Patronizing a Prostitute in the State of Connecticut can include up to one year of jail time, probation, and fines of up to $2,000. It is a Class A misdemeanor—the most serious classification of misdemeanors. As the top Stamford Connecticut criminal attorneys and lawyers will confirm, most convictions for Patronizing Prostitution will not result in your being treated as a sex offender or require your registration on any sex offender registry. But the stigma and shame associated with a conviction or arrest in Fairfield, Stamford or Greenwich for Patronizing Prostitution can nevertheless hang over your reputation for years, especially if you work for a corporation, work in the financial services industry, are a state or city government employee, or are involved in your community, kids’ athletics, or PTA association. In all of these scenarios, getting your Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution arrest dismissed and expunged is critical to your professional livelihood. Therefore, if you are arrested for Patronizing Prostitution under 53a-83, in Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, Fairfield, Darien, or any other municipality in Fairfield County, then you should contact a top criminal lawyer to help you fight your charges and restore your reputation.
Massage Parlor Arrests for Patronizing Prostitution in Norwalk, Stamford and Fairfield
Top Stamford and Norwalk criminal lawyers frequently get calls about the legality of visiting massage parlors. Be careful here. Massage parlors in Stamford, Norwalk, Wilton, and Fairfield are prime targets for Connecticut prostitution stings. Stamford and Greenwich police routinely conduct high-level surveillance of these Connecticut massage parlors, and regularly obtain search warrants to seize the financial books and records of these establishments. The last thing you need is your name, credit card or phone number turning up in any Connecticut massage parlor black books or customer lists. Connecticut massage parlors will lead you to believe they are very “discreet” and “private,” but the reality is they cannot legally keep your cell phone, digital data or credit card information private from law enforcement. And even if you are not engaging in sexual contact at the time of a Connecticut prostitution sting or raid on a massage parlor, you are still very much at risk of getting arrested in Stamford Connecticut for Patronizing Prostitution. For example, if there are condoms or drugs in your massage room (even if you don’t know it), then you can be arrested in Stamford, Fairfield or Greenwich for Patronizing Prostitution under CGS 53a-83.
Fighting Your Stamford Patronizing Prostitution Arrest
The best and top-rated Greenwich and Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyers are well-versed and cost-efficient in fighting 53a-83 Patronizing Prostitution arrests in the Stamford and Norwalk Superior Courts. These lawyers know how to take the police and prosecutors to task and ask the tough questions during the pre-trial stages of your Stamford Connecticut 53a-83 Patronizing Prostitution arrest. Is their video surveillance that proves you were engaging in sexual contact? Is there direct or sufficient circumstantial evidence of any explicit solicitation for sexual contact? Were any of your constitutional search and seizure rights violated? Did the police have probable cause to enter the premises or massage parlors where arrests were made? These are critical issues that need to be examined closely by your top Norwalk Connecticut criminal lawyer. Additionally, the prosecution’s police reports and witness statements must be carefully examined for errors, omissions and inconsistencies. In many Norwalk Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution cases, sexual contact is presumed but not proven. These are the cases that a top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney will aggressively attempt to get dismissed.
Pulling the Power from the Prosecution – Using the Accelerated Rehabilitation Program
As the best Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyers will tell you, sometimes a prosecutor and defense attorney cannot see eye-to-eye in a Norwalk Connecticut CGS 53a-83 Patronizing Prostitution arrest. In some circumstances, an experienced Wilton or Norwalk Connecticut criminal lawyer can take the power out of the prosecution’s hands and apply to the judge for Connecticut’s Pre-Trial Accelerated Rehabilitation Program. It is a strong tool in the defense attorney’s arsenal. This option may only be exercised once in your life for felonies (and every 10 years for misdemeanor arrests) and is generally available to first time offenders in Connecticut. Getting the Connecticut Accelerated Rehabilitation Program (also known as the “AR” Program) is not automatic. A hearing will take place before a judge, where the prosecutor and any victims of your alleged crime have a right to object to your AR Program application. The judge will carefully consider all arguments during your AR hearing. If the judge is persuaded by your top Stamford Connecticut criminal defense attorney, then he or she will grant you the program and suspend the prosecution of your case for a period of up to two years. If you finish the program successfully, then the Court will dismiss and expunge your case—even if the prosecution still wants you prosecuted! Click here to learn more about the Connecticut Accelerated Rehabilitation and if you’re interested in this defense strategy, be sure to ask your top Greenwich Connecticut criminal defense attorney about the AR Program.
What’s The Difference Between Patronizing Prostitution and Prostitution?
Patronizing Prostitution under CGS 53a-83 is a separate and distinct crime from Prostitution, which is codified in C.G.S. 53a-82. Patronizing Prostitution targets those individuals who solicit prostitutes or make arrangements to engage in sexual conduct with prostitutes in exchange for a sum of money. On the other hand, Prostitution per C.G.S. 53a-82 forbids anyone over the age of 16 to engage in sexual conduct to agree to engage in sexual conduct or offer or agree to engage in sexual conduct with another, in exchange for monetary compensation. Prostitution, like the crime of Patronizing Prostitution, is a Class A Misdemeanor, each carrying the same penalties – up to 1 year of jail time, probation, and up to $2,000 in fines.
A simple way to understand the difference between Patronizing Prostitution and straight Prostitution is that the former criminalizes the purchase of prostitutes and sex, whereas the latter criminalizes the selling of it. By way of example, an employee at a Connecticut massage parlor who engages in sexual conduct in exchange for money would be charged with 53a-82 Prostitution, but a customer of the massage parlor who pays for sexual conduct would be arrested in Stamford, Greenwich or Norwalk for Patronizing Prostitution under 53a-83.
Removing Your Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution Arrest from the Internet
If you are arrested in Stamford, Greenwich or Wilton Connecticut for CGS 53a-83 Patronizing Prostitution, then the online arrest reports in the police blotter of local newspapers can be very embarrassing to you, both personally and professionally. The details of the massage parlor sting operation, the names of those charged, and even booking photos may be published on various online newspapers such as the Stamford Advocate, Greenwich Time, the Norwalk Hour and local Patch websites. The irony is that even after your top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer has helped you get your Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution arrest dismissed and completely erased off your record, these online media companies will shamelessly continue to publish your arrest online so they can drive eyeballs and ad revenues to their websites.
Top Connecticut libel and slander lawyers and attorneys who know how to scrub the internet can assist you in removing your Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution arrest from the internet. It’s no easy task, but the Mark Sherman Law firm is one of the State of Connecticut’s legal leaders in fighting online news companies who continue to publish arrests that have long been dismissed and expunged. Protecting your reputation is a priority for us, especially when you have already suffered through the stress and anxiety of the criminal court process, paid your debt to the court system, and had your Danbury or Fairfield Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution arrest dismissed. So if you are arrested in a Fairfield or Stamford massage parlor sting operation, then you should contact a top Stamford Connecticut sex crimes criminal lawyer who can assist you in trying to get your C.G.S. 53a-83 Patronizing Prostitution arrest dismissed and removed from the internet. Click here to learn more about the Mark Sherman Law Firm’s ongoing legal battle against the country’s media giants who continue to publish online arrest reports of cases that have been dismissed and expunged in Connecticut.
The Dangers of Escort Service Websites
Online escort services are more popular than ever. Websites like sugardaddy.com and seekingarrangements.com are targeting rich (and often married) men looking to pay for the company of young women. The Mark Sherman Law Firm was featured in a Wall Street Journal article about these websites. Know, however, that Stamford and Greenwich sex crimes detectives are trolling these websites and are trying to shut down escort service operations in the area by targeting the “Johns” and customers who keep these online escort business in business. In 2014, Stamford and Greenwich police conducted a Superbowl sex sting that shut down an online escort business operation that catered to high-end clientele in town for New York City’s Superbowl. Many prostitutes, pimps, and “Johns” were arrested in the tri-state area, causing devastating embarrassment to the male customers who were customers of this Connecticut online escort business. Why are the Greenwich and Stamford police so hellbent on taking down Johns and customers in these sex string operations? The answer actually makes sense, as these sex operations have recently been exploiting underage girls and forcing them into performing sexual acts. As a result, Connecticut lawmakers have enacted very tough Human Trafficking laws to punish escort businesses and massage parlors that employ or exploit underage girls. Click here to learn more about Connecticut’s Human Trafficking laws.
Contact a Connecticut Sex Crimes / Patronizing Prostitution Lawyer at Mark Sherman Law Today
So if you are arrested in Stamford, Norwalk or Greenwich Connecticut for Patronizing Prostitution under 53a-83, or if you arrested in Bridgeport, Fairfield or Danbury for any other Prostitution-related sex crime, then you should contact a sex crime attorney at the Mark Sherman Law firm. Our “two-attorney” review guarantee ensures that at least two of our experienced criminal lawyers will review your police reports for errors, omissions and constitutional defects. Our goal is simple: getting your Connecticut Patronizing Prostitution arrest dismissed. We can then help you scrub the internet clean of any remnants of your Connecticut Prostitution arrest. To speak with a Stamford Connecticut Prostitution criminal lawyer at The Law Offices of Mark Sherman, call us today at (203) 358-4700. We are available 24-7 to take your call.