The crime of prostitution is a serious offense in Minnesota and demands the Best Defense. A conviction will ruin reputations and marriages. It may result in the loss of   professional licenses and and  your precious freedom.   An experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney can make all the difference in the world. I have listed below the elements of different prostitution crimes along with a link to the Minnesota prostitution statute.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.324

SEX TRAFFICKING IN THE FIRST DEGREE

Whenever a person who is not a john or prostitute, intentionally commits any of the following acts in Minnesota is guilty of a first-degree felony prostitution: (1) solicits  or induces an individual under the age of 18 years to practice prostitution; (2) promotes the prostitution of an individual under the age of 18 years; (3) receives profit, knowing or having reason to know that it is derived from the prostitution, or the promotion of the prostitution, of an individual under the age of 18 years; or (4) engages in the sex trafficking of an individual under the age of 18 years.

SEX TRAFFICKING IN THE SECOND DEGREE

Whoever, while acting not as a john or prostitute, intentionally commits any of the following acts in Minnesota is guilty of second-degree felony prostitution: (1) solicits or induces an individual to practice prostitution; (2) promotes the prostitution of an individual; (3) receives profit, knowing or having reason to know that it is derived from the prostitution, or the promotion of the prostitution, of an individual; or (4) engages in the sex trafficking of an individual.

ENGAGING IN PROSTITUTION WITH A MINOR

Whoever intentionally does any of the following with a minor, while acting as a john, is guilty of a felony: (1) engages in prostitution with an individual under the age of 13 years; or (2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual under the age of 13 years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

PROSTITUTION IN A PUBLIC PLACE BY A JOHN

Whoever, while acting as a john, intentionally does any of the following in a public place is guilty of a gross misdemeanor: (1) engages in prostitution with an individual 18 years of age or older; or (2) hires, offers to hire, or agrees to hire an individual 18 years of age or older to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact. A public place is defined under Minnesota law as   a public street or sidewalk, a pedestrian skyway system,  a hotel, motel, steam room, sauna, massage parlor, bar, restaurant, el, steam room, sauna, massage parlor, shopping mall and other public shopping areas, a bar, restaurant, a motor vehicle located on a public street, alley, or parking lot.  Any person convicted of this offense must pay a mandatory minimum fine of $1,500.00.

If the offense is not committed in a public place, it will be charged out as a  misdemeanor.

PROSTITUTION IN A PUBLIC PLACE BY A PROSTITUTE

Whoever, while acting as a prostitute, intentionally does any of the following while in a public place is guilty of a gross misdemeanor: (1) engages in prostitution with an individual 18 years of age or older; or (2) is hired, offers to be hired, or agrees to be hired by an individual 18 years of age or older to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

If the offense is committed a nonpublic place, the charge will be a misdemeanor.

THE BEST DEFENSE

There are many available defenses  to a prostitution charge including police entrapment, lack of intent, and insufficient  evidence to prove all the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. I have a case now where the search warrant used to extract  cell phone text messages was executed after its expiration date. A motion to suppress the evidence will be filed to preclude the uses of the cell phone data at trial. For the Best Defense, call Minnesota criminal defense lawyer Robert J. Shane for a free phone consultation at (612) 339-1024.