Read this on another forum: any US legal types care to comment?
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The U.S. House of Representatives is about to pass FOSTA (H.R. 1865). The Senate will probably follow suit.
This new law is primarily targeted at online sites that facilitate sex trafficking. But, it includes a section that makes simple whoring a federal crime. The new crime is "promoting or facilitating" the prostitution of another person if done by means of a phone, text message, email, or internet. This language is broad enough to make a simple solicitation a federal crime because the john "promotes" and/or "facilitates" the prostitution of the hooker by soliciting and patronizing her. As soon as that bill becomes law, anyone using a phone call, text, phone app, or email, to set up a date in the United States is violating federal law.
A few thoughts on this:
1) It will be much riskier to post reviews on sites like TER. That will clearly fall under the new federal crime. Fuck, even posting on this forum may become illegal.
2) Sites like TER, Eros, P411, etc., will probably be operating illegally in the United States. I would be shocked if the feds do not try to shut them down.
3) Any solicitation sting could have a federal component - imagine Tom Dart-type stings, but by the FBI. This will happen somewhere.
4) The consequences are real bad - federal felony, possible registration as a sex offender, federal prison up to 10 years, a monetary fine, forfeiture (i.e., the feds confiscate all property (car, phone, computer, etc.) you used in commission of the crime).
I'm not saying necessarily that it's time to quit. But be mindful that the legal risks are about to go way higher.
=================
The U.S. House of Representatives is about to pass FOSTA (H.R. 1865). The Senate will probably follow suit.
This new law is primarily targeted at online sites that facilitate sex trafficking. But, it includes a section that makes simple whoring a federal crime. The new crime is "promoting or facilitating" the prostitution of another person if done by means of a phone, text message, email, or internet. This language is broad enough to make a simple solicitation a federal crime because the john "promotes" and/or "facilitates" the prostitution of the hooker by soliciting and patronizing her. As soon as that bill becomes law, anyone using a phone call, text, phone app, or email, to set up a date in the United States is violating federal law.
A few thoughts on this:
1) It will be much riskier to post reviews on sites like TER. That will clearly fall under the new federal crime. Fuck, even posting on this forum may become illegal.
2) Sites like TER, Eros, P411, etc., will probably be operating illegally in the United States. I would be shocked if the feds do not try to shut them down.
3) Any solicitation sting could have a federal component - imagine Tom Dart-type stings, but by the FBI. This will happen somewhere.
4) The consequences are real bad - federal felony, possible registration as a sex offender, federal prison up to 10 years, a monetary fine, forfeiture (i.e., the feds confiscate all property (car, phone, computer, etc.) you used in commission of the crime).
I'm not saying necessarily that it's time to quit. But be mindful that the legal risks are about to go way higher.
