By: James Davis
A prostitute earns money solely by offering sexual favors. A prostitute is for someone when they need intimate company. The services are provided for a fee, usually for one hour (sometimes less), and then they leave.
On the other hand, an escort provides companionship for a set period of time. An escort will usually accompany their client for longer than an hour, and they can even be contracted for days at a time. Escorts tend to be attractive, personable women who accompany men, though many male escorts exist. Escorts often provide company for a conference, dinner or party. An escort is classy, educated, smart and able to hold a conversation. Escorts may offer other intimate, but non-sexual, services like massages as well. Clients pay an escort for an enjoyable time, so they want someone who they can happily spend several hours with. In addition, an escort (or their escort service) tend to be more discerning about their clientele, and they will not simply meet with anyone.
One other big difference between escort services and prostitution services is the cost. Prostitutes, as a general rule, tend to be cheaper simply because the service they offer is, for lack of a better word, basic. They have a certain set of skills that they use and that is the end of it. An escort, on the other hand, will charge a client more because they have more to offer. When a client pays for an escort’s time they are getting someone that they can have an actual conversation with and otherwise enjoy one another’s joke. They may also play a role in business affairs, like helping the client impress others at whatever event they may attend together.
The Law
The largest difference, of course, is that escort services are not illegal, while prostitute services are illegal. An escort is not offering sexual services in exchange for money, while that is exactly what a prostitute does. Whether you agree that the government should be regulating what two consenting adults do in private, the current law prohibits such exchanges.
Many prostitution arrests sem from police sting operations. It is not uncommon for someone to contact what they believe to be a legal escort service only to find that the individual was not an escort but an undercover officer. Considering the proliferation of online websites for these services, it is often easy for law enforcement officers to ensnare unsuspecting community members.
The operations usually works with an officer posing as a buyer or seller of the services and trying to get the defendant to implicate themselves by indicating a desire to trade money for sex. That does not necessarily mean that there needs to be a physical transfer of money or obvious statements made about the intent. The totality of the circumstances are usually considered in any subsequent criminal case.
It is critical for local community members to understand these differences. It is not at all uncommon for law enforcement officers to mistakenly make arrests and for prostitution charges to be filed even when an escort service is involved.
Legal Help for Florida Prostitution Charges
An attorney defending one charged with these crimes will likely consider many different issues when crafting a defense. First, the arrest must have been proper with rights explained. In addition, the “decoy” office should be the one who writes the report. The “taping” procedure might be evaluated, as evidence from tapes that are hard to hear may not be sufficient to convict. Also, the conduct of the officers in the sting will be analyzed to determine if they convinced the party to do something that they wouldn’t normally do. The aggressiveness of the decoy might come into play.
If you are facing prostitution-related charges in Florida be sure to reach out to the legal professional at the Law Office of James Davis to fight back and defend your rights.
