Title: Criminal Prostitution Law | Justia
Headings: Prostitution
Prostitution
Definitions of Prostitution
State and Local Laws
Other Countries’ Laws
Human Trafficking Laws

Content: Definitions of Prostitution
Florida’s criminal code, to give one example, defines prostitution as “the giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire.” Not all paid sexual activity is considered prostitution in all jurisdictions. The supreme courts of California and New Hampshire have held that the production of pornographic films, which involves paying performers to engage in sexual activity, is not prostitution under state law. The jurisdictions that do not allow such productions often treat them as a form of illegal obscenity rather than prostitution. The question of whether prostitution should remain illegal, or whether jurisdictions where it is legal should take further steps to prohibit it, is highly controversial. Proponents of treating prostitution as a legitimate form of sex work argue that it is a matter of human rights to allow consenting adults to decide for themselves how to make a living. They further note that no law has ever prevented prostitution, and that the goals of preventing human trafficking, child exploitation, and other forms of abuse are not helped by targeting adults who engage in prostitution freely. Opponents of legal prostitution argue that prostitution is inherently dehumanizing and damaging to those engaged in it. Arguments often focus on female sex workers, but men and transgender people are also involved in sex work. State and Local Laws
State and local laws in 49 U.S. states, as well as four Nevada counties, prohibit prostitution.