if you have your own place say an apartment or something would they where a wire and try to bust you? I am from Atlanta were they do it often even have sex with you then arrest after. Also if you do outcalls and don't have a escort license will you go to jail? I am 31 yr old btw. Thanks guys!
is escorting in Vancouver illegal
- Thread starter klopi
- Start date
Welcome to Canada and to PERB!
You will find the laws regarding prostitution and the enforcement of those laws is quite different from the United States. And the penalties, for those who somehow fail to avoid breaking the laws in Canada, are laughable by U.S. standards.
One element common with the U.S., however, is that the vigour by which local law enforcement tries to enforce the laws regarding prostitution varies by province and by city. And enforcement usually is the result of complaints from local residents where the prostitution is causing or contributes to such disorderly conduct as discarded condoms or needles in back alleys (and especially near schools).
If you use the search feature, you'll find lots has already been written on PERB on this subject. In Vancouver, so long as you're discrete and do not discuss sex in public it is near impossible to get busted.
Dave in Phoenix has posted on PERB and TERB before and has his own website in the U.S. where he discusses differences between Canada and the U.S. You can find it here:
http://www.sexwork.com/montreal/law.html
If you search the internet, you will also find a number of good Canadian sites that also summarize the law quite well. Best to look for some put out by legal aid societies or other such groups that take it upon themselves to summarize the law for those who may be in the sex industry.
Rather than worry about escorting discretely in Canada (assuming you are in Canada legally and won't encounter immigration problems), your biggest worry should be the moderators on PERB. They are very vigilant to ensure that only paid advertisers are allowed to post their contact information, rates, services, availability, etc..
If you decide to be (or are already) an escort in B.C. and if providing good service is something you value, think about becoming a paid advertiser on PERB. It is probably the best investment a good SP can make when first starting out.
Once again, welcome to PERB.
klopi said:
You will find the laws regarding prostitution and the enforcement of those laws is quite different from the United States. And the penalties, for those who somehow fail to avoid breaking the laws in Canada, are laughable by U.S. standards.
One element common with the U.S., however, is that the vigour by which local law enforcement tries to enforce the laws regarding prostitution varies by province and by city. And enforcement usually is the result of complaints from local residents where the prostitution is causing or contributes to such disorderly conduct as discarded condoms or needles in back alleys (and especially near schools).
If you use the search feature, you'll find lots has already been written on PERB on this subject. In Vancouver, so long as you're discrete and do not discuss sex in public it is near impossible to get busted.
Dave in Phoenix has posted on PERB and TERB before and has his own website in the U.S. where he discusses differences between Canada and the U.S. You can find it here:
http://www.sexwork.com/montreal/law.html
If you search the internet, you will also find a number of good Canadian sites that also summarize the law quite well. Best to look for some put out by legal aid societies or other such groups that take it upon themselves to summarize the law for those who may be in the sex industry.
Rather than worry about escorting discretely in Canada (assuming you are in Canada legally and won't encounter immigration problems), your biggest worry should be the moderators on PERB. They are very vigilant to ensure that only paid advertisers are allowed to post their contact information, rates, services, availability, etc..
If you decide to be (or are already) an escort in B.C. and if providing good service is something you value, think about becoming a paid advertiser on PERB. It is probably the best investment a good SP can make when first starting out.
Once again, welcome to PERB.
This is NOT TRUE Massagegirl.
Please refer to Section VII of the Criminal Code of Canada for the definition of a "common bawdy house", which states:
" “common bawdy-house” means a place that is
(a) kept or occupied, or
(b) resorted to by one or more persons
for the purpose of prostitution or the practice of acts of indecency;"
I understand that they don't regularly enforce the bawdy house laws for independants working from home. However, the poster was asking if it was illegal, and yes, it is. It is very clearly stated in the Criminal Code.
So the poster just needs to decide what her comfort level is with the law and how she wants to do business, but she should know the facts as they are.
I don't judge anyone who works from home, and I definately think that it should be legal, but I really think it's important for all sexworkers to know what the laws are, what the penalties are, and what the risks are.
Hope this helps!
I think the LE in Vancouver is very relaxed compared to Atlanta. There are many independent SP working out of their homes or apartments. Most of the SP I believe are not licensed. Just look at Georgia Straight, Westender, Buy and Sell, Sing Tao there are probably close to hundred if not more independent SP who offer incall and outcall that advertise on those papers and I bet majority are not licensed. This is just my opinion but so far I've never ever heard of independent SP in Vancouver got busted and charged for prostitution for doing incalls. There are many sp who's been escorting for years, they offer incall out of their homes and you don't see them getting busted infact they're still very much in the business. Just move and work here in Vancouver, fuck Atlanta. Just advertise here on perb and other online escort ads I'm sure you'll be busy.
You are absolutely the most correct on this one! Funny how so many SPs think it's legal, whereas it is black and white illegal in the law.Hollybaby said:
Really? I've heard from a couple of reputable sources that echo what massagegirl posted: that, while solicitation was illegal, prostitution itself was not.
I've heard from a couple of reputable sources that echo what massagegirl posted: that, while solicitation was illegal, prostitution itself was not.was I the only one..?
When I got my liscence, part of the process was to go for an "interview" at the police station. It was to confirm that all of my information (address, phone number, etc.) was correct, and to discuss with me -face to face- that the police are on MY (and every other liscenced escort's) side. The officer clarified the legality of what I do, and made very clear that if anything were to happen with a john, the agency, or anyone else who might assault, rob, harrass, etc, that I should go to the police so they can help me.
When I got my liscence, part of the process was to go for an "interview" at the police station. It was to confirm that all of my information (address, phone number, etc.) was correct, and to discuss with me -face to face- that the police are on MY (and every other liscenced escort's) side. The officer clarified the legality of what I do, and made very clear that if anything were to happen with a john, the agency, or anyone else who might assault, rob, harrass, etc, that I should go to the police so they can help me.
aznboi9 said:Really?
actually the law covers it fairly well ... it is against the law to 'solicit' money for sex,
and illegal to live off the avails of prostitution (whether a pimp
or a prostitute).
however, there is no law against two consenting adults having sex,
nor is there any law against anyone 'selling' their 'time' to anyone
else ...
so the 'loop-hole' in the law is simply that you buy some time and
if that happens to lead to sex between consenting adults then
no laws have been broken.
Whatever your sources, they are not more reputable than the Criminal Code of Canada. The laws are clearly stated, and the terms are clearly defined.
Please refer to Section VII.
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-46/267334.html
What Massagegirl, and I suppose the other people you have talked to, are referring to is the lack of enforcement of some of the laws related to prostitution and bawdy houses. They are not claiming (or shouldn't be anyway) that such laws do not, therefore, exist.
(I have also heard that the police will "overlook" any illegal practices of a prostitute if she comes to them for help, in the case of an assault, for example. I'm pretty sure this is true, and I'd urge anyone to go to the police if they are afraid of being hurt by a client or have been hurt, even if it means revealing that they've broken a law.)
Thanks for the link. I'm not a lawyer type, so my eyes tend to glaze over after reading too much legalese. But the closest things I could find are:Hollybaby said:
Which, according to their definition of bawdy-house:Criminal Code: Part VII said:
would mean that any incall location is illegal. For prostitution itself, the only thing I could find was:Criminal Code: Part VII said:
Is this what you're referring to that makes prostitution illegal?Criminal Code: Part VII said:
they aren't selling the license's for the escorts to have sex, they are selling them for the escort's time. What happens during that time varies. For some escorts, all they offer is their time being eye candy, going out for suppers etc. for the other kind, the time includes sex.StewieDarlin said:Yet it seems contradictory for the gov't to sell lisences to escorts to do something illegal
Oh please. they sell license's or try to anyway, to all escorts here in Vic and they know damn well what is going on behind closed doors. The only cracking down that is going on, if at all, is for the girls to be licensed and on the Sw's where there is a bad drug problem.schizo_man said:
Yes, an out for the gals who want to provide fs incall is to advertise that time is all that is being paid for (as LG pointed out in his post) and what goes on between 2 consenting adults in private is just that.
but if you go to the local agencies sites, they are certainly not advertising time and are not being bothered one bit by the police. As long as drugs are kept away and everyone is liscensed then they are happy.
No. I never said that prostitution was illegal. Canada has no such law.
Canada's laws deal with common bawdy houses and solicitation.
Yes, incall locations are illegal. The act of selling sex for money (aka: prostitution), however, is not illegal.
Again, this is all clearly stated in Section VII of the Criminal Code of Canada.
That was the impression you gave in your response to my last post, as my original question was not dealing with:Hollybaby said:
Hollybaby said:
For Christ's sakes, that's all I was asking.Hollybaby said:
legal, shmegal
Ok, (in victoria, anyways)this is how it actually goes down...get a liscence for 250, and you're pretty much home free. Just dont blatanty advertise "I'll f#@& your brains out for $200". The fine for working without a liscence is $100/day for every day that you are actually caught. No jail.klopi said:
I do imagine they are, especially if they have gals waiting around in house for incalls. But it seems that LE simply looks the other way most of the time.M1A said:Is an agency a bawdy house, then? Why haven't all the "bawdy houses" been shut down, then?
1. NO, Escorting is not illegal, period.klopi said:
2. NO, you will not go to jail if you do Escorting without a license but you could be fined.
3. It could be considered illegal to advertise sex for sell that will be performed at your residence.
4. If you do an outcall to an adult person's hotel or residence and there is an exchange for money for sex in the confines of that private space, it is not illegal (i.e., it is a private exchange between consenting adults). There are no laws in Canada against or prohibiting such an exchange.
For the most part throughout Canada, sex is seen as a personal choice and not an illegal/legal matter as in the US. You might say there is far less hypocrisy in Canada than the US regarding morals and values.
