Drug agents in Ocala, Florida arrested 10 men Wednesday during a prostitution sting. All of the men arrested were charged with solicitation for prostitution, and a few of them face drug charges.
According to the Multi-Agency Drug Enforcement Team, the men allegedly came to a location and requested sexual favors for $20. They were arrested after the price was set. It is unclear at the date of reporting what the Drug task force was doing in the middle of a prostitution sting. Further, it is unclear if the different agencies were authorized to use drug task force money in this regard.
The arrested men range in age from 20 to 70. The 70-year-old man arrested supposedly agreed to pay $10 extra for a sex act. The nominal amount of the alleged inquiry will of course beg the question if the man was serious or just being silly.
Law enforcement targets many Florida areas for prostitution sting operations. Many people vacation in Florida and travel to hot spots of attraction such as beaches, night clubs and resorts, where oftentimes in a relaxed state of mind words come out that you may not mean to say. Many solicitation arrests are made after hours and quite often alcohol plays a factor in any supposed bad decisions. Making someone an offer for sex or saying something that inclines the other party to believe you would compensate them for sexual favors, could lead to your arrest for solicitation.
Sometimes pressure or coercion can play a factor in a decision you would normally not even think about making. In undercover stings, this is known as entrapment. Regardless of the circumstances, a solicitation conviction in Florida can include jail time, fines, community service and mandatory counseling among other things. In some cases, your license can automatically be revoked. First time offenders can be sent to jail for a maximum of 60 days and pay fines up to $500. A second solicitation or prostitution-related charge carries a minimum fine of $1000 and one year in jail.
If you face any type of solicitation or prostitution charge in the state of Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers online or call the Ocala office at 352-369-5334 or toll free at 866-608-5529.