JustAGuy said:
If it's "completely legal", ezish12, then the cops are wasting a lot of manpower and resources on their periodic sweeps where they crack down on johns and sw's. And the johns who've had their cars seized or been forced to attend "john school" have a pretty valid gripe.
Exchanging sex for money (i.e. prostitution) is not illegal. However, various aspects of how the business is conducted are:
so:
solicting (communicating for the purposes of prostitution in a public place) is illegal -- that means the street trade. Municipalities have added a bunch of other restrictions/penalities under their power to regulate roads, highway traffic, and land use. That's where john school and car seizures come from.
Being found in or keeping a common bawdy house -- which basically means a premises used for the purposes of prostitution. So the massage parlour where sex is exchanged for money is a bawdy house and illegal. The fact that its just blow jobs and hand jobs probably doesn't matter. However, licencing gives them some leeway and keeps the cops off their back to a certain extent. After all, licencing adds to municipal coffers that pay the cops salaries.
Outcalls -- where you have the lady come to your place are completely legal, especially if all the communications about price and services are conducted in private -- i.e. when the lady arrives at your premises.
Incalls -- may be or may not be. If the incall location is kept separate from the sp's home/place of residence then it probably could be called a bawdy house and again would be illegal. If its her home, then its likely not a bawdy house and you're probably o.k.
Having said all that ... the sorts of incalls that most independent sp's set up are not what the cops are looking for because they aren't visible. The most worrisome thing would be if the neighbours started complaining to the landlord about the never ending stream of horny guys and all the moaning and groaning. Then there's always the possibility that the landlord might call the cops.
independent escorts, however, do all face the possibility of being in violation of municipal by-laws if they don't have a licence. Sometimes the cops set up stings to try and nab girls for that. But that's not a problem for clients, but the girls.
Tom