Title: Is Prostitution Legal In All States? How Is Prostitution Punished? | CriminalDefenseLawyer.com
Headings: Prostitution Laws
Prostitution Laws
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The History of the Oldest Profession
A Victimless Crime?
Typical Legal Approaches to Prostitution
Crimes Related to Prostitution
Punishing Prostitution
Prostitution Laws by State

Content: The practice remained legal despite public condemnation. Brothels and their patrons were prominent along the coasts and eventually spread to the country's rural areas. Local governments tried—mostly unsuccessfully—to regulate prostitution. Determining that absolute prevention was impossible, the country turned to the practice of confining prostitution to certain geographic areas known as “redlight districts.” These sectors were technically illegal in many states, but governments often tolerated them. Eventually, at the turn of the nineteenth century, the states began to enact criminal laws prohibiting prostitution, while Congress did the same. By 1971 every state other than Nevada had outlawed sex-for-sale. A Victimless Crime? Some have argued that prostitution is a “victimless crime”—at least when adults are concerned—in that it involves only consenting individuals. The majority view, however, is that commercial sex harms these individuals and, more importantly, society at large.