Orangeburg County Solicitation Lawyer

Soliciting a prostitute is a serious criminal offense in South Carolina. An arrest for this offense could wreak havoc on your professional and personal lives even if it does not result in a guilty finding, while a conviction could leave you facing fines, jail time, and even confinement in state prison if the person you solicited was under the age of 18.

By working with an Orangeburg County solicitation lawyer, you could significantly improve your chances of securing a favorable outcome to your case. A qualified defense attorney could explain exactly how state law approaches this kind of offense, help you build a comprehensive defense strategy, and tenaciously protect your rights at every stage of the proceedings against you.

Criminal Consequences for Patronizing a Prostitute

The same section of South Carolina state law criminalizes performing sexual services through prostitution, facilitating prostitution, making money through the provision of prostitutes, and patronizing a prostitute. Under South Carolina Code of Laws §16-15-90, all these actions are misdemeanor offenses punishable by the same pattern of criminal sanctions upon conviction.

Someone who has never been convicted of soliciting a prostitute or of any prostitution-related offense before may face a maximum fine of $200 and a maximum jail sentence of 30 days upon conviction for a first solicitation offense. If a defendant has been convicted of solicitation or any prostitution-related offense once again, their second conviction could result in maximum penalties of a $1,000 fine and six months of confinement in county jail.

Third and subsequent solicitation and/or prostitution convictions may lead to maximum penalties of a $3,000 fine and a one-year jail sentence. Given how multiple convictions for this offense could lead to increased penalties over time, it is generally a good idea to seek help from a skilled Orangeburg County solicitation attorney regardless of personal criminal history.

Enhanced Penalties for Solicitation of a Minor

Solicitation of a prostitute becomes a much more serious offense if the person allegedly providing sexual services is legally considered a minor. According to S.C. Code §16-15-342, a person may face charges for criminal solicitation of a minor if they exchange money for sexual services from someone they reasonably believe to be under 18, if they attempt to contact a minor in order to arrange such a transaction, or they attempt to coerce or induce a minor to engage in such a transaction.

Furthermore, consent between the two parties involved is not a valid defense to prosecution under this statute if the minor in question is younger than 16. A first conviction for a violation of C.G.S. §16-15-342 is a felony offense punishable by a maximum of ten years of imprisonment, making the retention of a skilled solicitation lawyer all the more essential for someone facing allegations of this nature in Orangeburg County.

Talk to an Orangeburg County Solicitation Attorney About Legal Options

Despite some fledgling movements at the national level to legalize and legitimize sex work, the act of soliciting a prostitute remains a criminal offense in the state of South Carolina and likely will remain one for the foreseeable future. You should take allegations of this nature seriously.

Once retained, an Orangeburg County solicitation lawyer could make a world of difference in how smoothly your case defense proceeds and what kind of impact this accusation has on the rest of your life. Call today.