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Promoting Juvenile Prostitution in Illinois

In Illinois, sex crimes are some of the most serious charges that a person com case. Promoting juvenile prostitution is no exception to the rule, and conviction of such a charge can have a devastating impact on both your freedom and your way of life. If you have been charged with promoting juvenile prostitution in Illinois, Dolci & Weiland's team of criminal defense attorneys are dedicated to providing the representation you need.

Promoting Juvenile Prostitution in Illinois

In Illinois, promoting juvenile prostitution is prohibited by 210 ILCS 5/11-14.4. The statute provides for several different actions for which a person can be charged with promoting juvenile prostitution.

Advancing Prostitution

An individual who advances juvenile prostitution in Illinois can face a charge of promoting prostitution. In order to be charged with advancing juvenile prostitution, the individual engaging in prostitution must be under the age of 18 or have a severe or profound intellectual disability. Examples of conduct which can lead to a charge of promoting juvenile prostitution include:

  • Soliciting a juvenile or intellectually disabled prostitute; and
  • Directing another person to a place knowing the person intends to engage in prostitution with a minor or intellectually disabled person; and
  • Knowingly exercising control over a place which is used for juvenile prostitution by granting permission to use the place for juvenile prostitution or continuing to let juvenile prostitution occur after becoming aware of the occurrence.

Profiting from Prostitution

An individual can also be charged with promoting juvenile prostitution if he or she profits from such prostitution. The state's statute prohibits a person from "profiting from prostitution by any means where the person being prostituted is under the age of 18 or has a severe or profound intellectual disability at the time of the offense." Profiting from prostitution is defined by statute, and actions which can lead to a charge of profiting from juvenile prostitution include:

  • compelling a minor or person with a severe or profound intellectual disability to become a prostitute;
  • arranging or offering to arrange a situation where a minor or person with a severe or profound intellectual disability can practice prostitution; and
  • "any other means" other than the situations described above, including patronizing a prostitute who is a minor or suffers from a severe or profound intellectual disability.

Confining Someone for Purposes of Juvenile Prostitution

An individual who confines a minor or person with a severe or profound intellectual disability can face charges of promoting juvenile prostitution if the confinement is caused by:

  • the infliction or threat of imminent infliction of great bodily harm or permanent disability; or
  • the administration of drugs or alcohol without the person's consent or by deception.

Even if a victim consented to the usage of drugs or alcohol, such consent is not considered valid if the person gives drugs or alcohol to a person under the age of 13 or to someone with a severe or profound intellectual disability.

Penalties for Promoting Juvenile Prostitution

A person charged with advancing or engaging in juvenile prostitution face severe criminal penalties if convicted. No matter the circumstances leading to the charge, a person faces four to fifteen years in prison, along with a fine of up to $25,000. In many cases, conviction of promoting juvenile prostitution is a Class X felony, which is the most serious felony that one can face in the state. Conviction of a Class X felony carries a prison sentence of six to thirty years.

Registration as a Sex Offender in Illinois

If you are convicted of promoting juvenile prostitution, your punishment doesn't stop at the end of your prison sentence. In fact, In Illinois, anyone who is convicted of this charge must register with the state's Sex Offender Registry pursuant to Illinois' Sex Offender Registration Act.

The act requires you to openly register as a sex offender on the state's database and provide a load of personal information such as your name, address, and photo. This information is made public to anyone who wishes to view the registry. The social stigma attached to being labeled a registered sex offender intrudes into all aspects of a person's life, from limiting where a person can live to hindering the ability to find a job.

Defenses to a Charge of Promoting Juvenile Prostitution

If you were charged with promoting juvenile prostitution, it's critical to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible following your arrest. A criminal defense attorney who has experience defending against sex crimes may be able to introduce a legal defense which can lessen the penalties that you can face if convicted of your charge.

Illinois' juvenile prostitution statute states that a legal defense to a charge of promoting juvenile prostitution exists "if the accused did not have a reasonable opportunity to observe the prostituted person" and the individual charged "reasonably believed that the person was of the age of 18 years or over or was not a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability at the time of the act giving rise to the charge."

In other words, if you were charged with promoting juvenile prostitution and genuinely had no idea that the individual was underage or mentally disabled, your attorney may be able to defend against your charge.

Facing a Charge of Promoting Juvenile Prostitution? Contact Us Today

A charge of promoting juvenile prostitution is one of the most serious sex crimes that a person in Illinois can face, as the penalties for conviction of such a crime can permanently impact a person's life. If you have been charged with promoting juvenile prostitution, the best step that you can take is to seek the help of a competent criminal defense attorney to handle the defense of your charge for you.

You should never try to fight juvenile prostitution charges without experienced legal help. With Dolci & Weiland by your side, you never have to deal with the prosecutor or the judge alone. To speak to a member of our legal team about your charge and discuss next steps, fill out an online case evaluation form or contact the office nearest to you today--for our downtown Chicago office, call (312) 238-9007, or for our DuPage location, contact (630) 261-9098.

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