Felony Prostitution Charges in Las Vegas - Understanding the Law and Your Rights

If you are charged with soliciting prostitution, the potential legal ramifications are quite serious. For example, a former Las Vegas fire captain pled guilty to two felonies after he was accused of paying a teenage girl $300 to have sex with him at a fire station, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The former fire captain pled guilty to one count of attempted statutory sexual seduction and soliciting prostitution. Though, his guilty plea only required him to admit that state prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove the prostitution case to a jury. The guilty plea means that the former fire captain will be looking at potentially serving five years in prison and having to pay a monetary fine up to $10,000. Additionally, the former fire captain will have to register as a sex offender.

Prostitution Laws in Las Vegas

Some people may be surprised at the harsh penalties confronting the former fire captain due to the unique laws related to prostitution in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This is because, in certain circumstances, prostitution is perfectly legal in Las Vegas. Though, the Nevada legislature limited the legal scope of prostitution to activities taking place in a brothel. In addition, the legality of prostitution is partly influenced by the population of a respective county. For example, counties with a total population less than 700,000 are allowed to let brothels operate within county confines. If, on the other hand, the county has a population in excess of 700,000, then prostitution is generally not permitted.

Potential Defenses to Charges of Illegally Soliciting Prostitution

As you can tell, the specific rules and regulations concerning prostitution in Las Vegas are a bit confusing. The complexities surrounding what is legal and illegal could provide a viable defense against a charge that you were willfully and intentionally sex from a prostitute.

The situation with the former Las Vegas fire captain was quite different. He reportedly contacted a girl through a Craigslist advertisement and asked her to visit the fire station. The fact that the activities took place outside the confines of a brothel created a serious legal issue for the fire captain. Additionally, the Craigslist advertisement described the girl as being 22 years of age. In reality, she was only 15 years old at the time, according to the aforementioned Las Vegas Review-Journal article. This opened up a whole array of other criminal charges related to soliciting sex from a minor, lewdness with a minor, and child abuse.

As you can see, one of the key factors in assessing whether or not the charges against you are viable is the location of the activities. As long as you sought the services of a prostitute within a legally-operating brothel and complied with the regulations governing brothers, then you should be able to prevail against a criminal charge of soliciting prostitution.

Contact an Experienced Las Vegas Prostitution Defense Lawyer Today

The best way to assess your legal options is to sit down with an experienced and knowledgeable Las Vegas prostitution defense lawyer with the LV Criminal Defense, 400 S. 7th St #401, Las Vegas, NV 89101, 702-623-6362. Our legal team will help you fight aggressively against the charges and protect your rights. Give us a call today to schedule an in-person meeting.