The legality of escort services
The Legality of Escort Services Escort services is usually
described where companionship is hired for a night of
entertainment or for more a night of intimate but non-sexual
services, such as massage. For the most part, these services are
legal in the U.S. The state legislatures however recognize the
reality that escort services are part of the adult entertainment
business and pass various measures to control these services and
to ensure that they are distinct from prostitution which is
illegal everywhere (except strangely some outlying districts of
Nevada). The most obvious reason for this is anxiety is over the
exploitation of minors. Others are rooted in an intolerance of
prostitution in American culture since the prohibition era and
the recognition that it is often a front for other organized
criminal activities. Different approaches are taken by different
states. Some use a regulatory approach and attempt to control
the activities that take place through indirect means. Utah
taxes escort services where they advertise themselves through
partial nudity (leaving the obvious loophole of advertising
through fully but glamorously dressed females). North Carolina
uses zoning laws to establish and maintain boundaries between
adult entertainment areas and other 'family' zones. California
law requires escort services to have a police license, thus
allowing 'unsuitable' businesses to be closed without the
necessity of proving criminal charges. Both federal and state
legislatures use anti-trafficking legislation to prevent adult
services being sold across state lines again to prevent the
exploitation of minors or foreign nationals. Finally, all states
use traditional anti-prostitution legislation to deal with
escort services or escorts who step over the line. There are
various legal positions on where this line is but most states
take it that an explicit ('verbal') offer of genital based
sexual activity in return for an explicit offer of money
constitutes prostitution. This does not, however, prevent an
escort being hired for other services and deciding on a personal
basis to have sex with the customer. And in some states or
cities (Seattle, for example) if money put down in return but it
is not made verbalized that this would happen then prostitution
is not deemed to take place. In most cases, the prostitute is
arrested and charged. Different states and districts take
different views of the customer. There is evidence of
inconsistencies in the application of the law, depending on
local tolerance of the activities. The owners of escort services
may be indicted but only if it can be proved that they
'knowingly' ran the escort agency as a prostitution service. The
legality of Internet advertising of escort services is also
questionable. An advert which is legal in California may break
laws in Florida. The age of consent also differs between states
meaning that simply entering the site and viewing a picture may
leave the individual open to charges of pedophilia. Many sites
have taken to posting legal warnings but the technology forces
them to leave the decision to enter the site to the customer's
discretion.
The UK legal system is often a version of the jokes about good
news and bad news.
Prostitution - exchanging participation in sexual activities for
money or other goods - has always been legal in the UK. It's
actually arguably more acceptable to charge for your sexual
skills than your cooking or brewing skills - you need a
certificate or licence for the latter two!
However, many of the activities that prostitution often involve
are illegal.
The legal situation in England and Wales has changed over time,
and keeps changing. A government consultation on sex work laws,
Paying the Price, was held in 2004 and we await developments
from that. The London market is booming since the EU expansion
in May 2004 and with a flood of gorgeous women coming to work to
the UK - there has never been a better time from a customer's
point view as the competition in the business is fierce. So if
you find your girl from a reputable Escort Agency, or call one
of the independent london escorts you are
guaranteed to have a good time.
Escort services do provide a tantalizing and for the most part
enjoyable experience. Do your research and go in with your head
free of assumptions. In short, as in any area of adult
entertainment, discretion is the better part of value.