In Hollywood, a pimp is someone who forces someone to sell their body for sex and then takes all of their money. These Hollywood pimps are willing to beat, drug and even rape women to exert control over them. In reality, pimping is much less clear cut and even friends of prostitutes who offer them protection in exchange for a fee are still technically considered pimps. Even someone who helps a prostitute list her services on Craigslist in exchange for a percentage of the woman’s pay would be considered a pimp. That’s why anyone accused of pimping should immediately contact a Mira Mesa criminal lawyer as soon as possible.
The first thing you need to understand when exploring the legal issues of pimping and pandering are the legal definitions of each term. Under California law, a pimp is someone who collects all or some of a prostitute’s pay, whether or not that person helped the prostitute solicit clients. Pandering is a separate offense under California law and occurs when someone helps make someone available as a prostitute by encouraging or persuading an individual to become (or remain) a prostitute. In legal terms, this sound complex, but essentially, a pimp is someone who collects all or some of a prostitute’s pay and pandering occurs when someone encourages or persuades someone to become or stay a prostitute.
Whether a person acts like a stereotypical violent pimp, physically abusing a women until she agrees to sell her body and then taking all of the proceeds, or a business associate, transporting a prostitute to a client’s home before giving them a word of encouragement about their skills as a prostitute, that person could be charged with both pimping and pandering.
Both pimping and pandering are felonies, punishable by up to six years in prison and$15,000 in fines. If any prostitutes were minors, the sentence may also be increased to up to eight years and you could be forced to register as a sex offender. As you can see, it’s critical anyone accused of these crimes contact a Solana Beach criminal defense attorney.
There are many different defenses for these crimes and ultimately, they will each come down to the specifics of the case. For example, if a woman accuses you of forcing her into prostitution, your Del Mar sex crimes lawyer could argue that she was falsely accusing you or that there is insufficient evidence to prove the claims. Alternatively, if you take a prostitute to a client’s house and then try to talk them out of having sex for money, you are not guilty of pandering because you did not encourage or persuade the prostitution. Additionally, intent is critical in these cases, so if you are collecting a portion of someone’s pay in exchange for offering security services, but are not aware that person is acting as a prostitute, you are not guilty of pimping.
Since these cases can often be very complex, it is important you refuse to answer any police questions without speaking to a Carmel Valley sex crimes defense attorney first. If you have been accused of pimping or pandering, please call (760) 643-4050 or (858) 486-3024 to schedule a free consultation with Peter M. Liss.
Creative Commons Image by Haven’t the Slightest
