Post by admin on Aug 26, 2007 2:18:19 GMT -5
ESCORT AGENCIES
Working for
It is legal to work for escort agencies, whether or not you are offering sexual services.
Some agencies rip you off and offer no protection whatsoever. Shop around for agencies which look out for your safety and offer reasonable terms and conditions. Try to work for places that have been recommended by other workers.
Running
Escort agencies where the staff are only providing 'social escort' services, rather than sexual services, are legal.
As everyone knows, these are in a very small minority and the vast majority of escort agencies involve the owners operating illegally. What stops them being raided and closed down is that agencies tend to be much lower down the list of police priorities than streetwork or brothels.
However if the police do decide to take an interest in you, they have repeatedly demonstrated they are quite prepared to pose as clients and potential workers in order to prove you know what's really going on, despite disclaimers like "Any fees paid to our escorts are for time and companionship only and anything else that may occur is a matter of personal choice between two consenting adults only". Nice try, but it won't save you.
The law in this area was changed completely, so we await some prosecutions to see just what the effect will be, but you almost certainly do not want to be the test case!
'Causing or inciting prostitution for gain' is likely to include saying things such as 'no experience required' when advertising for new staff. It's ok � under this clause anyway � to employ someone who's already a prostitute, i.e. someone who's ever given or offered any sexual service for money. But employing someone who says they never have done so will become very risky.
The control aspect of 'Controlling prostitution for gain' almost certainly includes, for example, telling someone where to go, i.e. what escort agencies do when sending staff to clients. Looked at another way, if you couldn't control it, i.e. send someone, no-one would call you!
The penalty for both is up to six months or a fine in a magistrate's court, seven years in a crown court. The larger your agency, and the more money you have made, the greater the chance of ending up in the latter. Plus if any of the staff are under 18, then no element of gain is necessary and the maximum penalty is increased to fourteen years.
We think it is unlikely that agencies who are employing adults who have clearly made a entirely voluntary choice to do the work will be charged with 'Trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation', but if you are being prosecuted for 'controlling prostitution for gain' and have helped your staff move around (for example by booking taxis for them or having drivers take escorts to bookings) then it is a possibility.
The penalty is up to six months or a fine in a magistrate's court, fourteen years in a crown court.
Until it's clear that it will not be used in this way, it could be an example of a law that puts at risk people it seeks to protect - having drivers take escorts is safer than having them go to bookings alone, but agencies may decide not to take a chance with being charged with trafficking.
source www.sw5.info/morelaw.htm#soliciting
Working for
It is legal to work for escort agencies, whether or not you are offering sexual services.
Some agencies rip you off and offer no protection whatsoever. Shop around for agencies which look out for your safety and offer reasonable terms and conditions. Try to work for places that have been recommended by other workers.
Running
Escort agencies where the staff are only providing 'social escort' services, rather than sexual services, are legal.
As everyone knows, these are in a very small minority and the vast majority of escort agencies involve the owners operating illegally. What stops them being raided and closed down is that agencies tend to be much lower down the list of police priorities than streetwork or brothels.
However if the police do decide to take an interest in you, they have repeatedly demonstrated they are quite prepared to pose as clients and potential workers in order to prove you know what's really going on, despite disclaimers like "Any fees paid to our escorts are for time and companionship only and anything else that may occur is a matter of personal choice between two consenting adults only". Nice try, but it won't save you.
The law in this area was changed completely, so we await some prosecutions to see just what the effect will be, but you almost certainly do not want to be the test case!
'Causing or inciting prostitution for gain' is likely to include saying things such as 'no experience required' when advertising for new staff. It's ok � under this clause anyway � to employ someone who's already a prostitute, i.e. someone who's ever given or offered any sexual service for money. But employing someone who says they never have done so will become very risky.
The control aspect of 'Controlling prostitution for gain' almost certainly includes, for example, telling someone where to go, i.e. what escort agencies do when sending staff to clients. Looked at another way, if you couldn't control it, i.e. send someone, no-one would call you!
The penalty for both is up to six months or a fine in a magistrate's court, seven years in a crown court. The larger your agency, and the more money you have made, the greater the chance of ending up in the latter. Plus if any of the staff are under 18, then no element of gain is necessary and the maximum penalty is increased to fourteen years.
We think it is unlikely that agencies who are employing adults who have clearly made a entirely voluntary choice to do the work will be charged with 'Trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation', but if you are being prosecuted for 'controlling prostitution for gain' and have helped your staff move around (for example by booking taxis for them or having drivers take escorts to bookings) then it is a possibility.
The penalty is up to six months or a fine in a magistrate's court, fourteen years in a crown court.
Until it's clear that it will not be used in this way, it could be an example of a law that puts at risk people it seeks to protect - having drivers take escorts is safer than having them go to bookings alone, but agencies may decide not to take a chance with being charged with trafficking.
source www.sw5.info/morelaw.htm#soliciting