Police in the St. Cloud area, including Waite Park, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Sauk Center, are continuously investigating individuals soliciting prostitution.
Often, police officers receive a tip of prostitution activity. At that point, law enforcement opens an investigation and follow all leads, including requesting arrest warrants for the alleged perpetrators if necessary. Minnesota courts have routinely held that law enforcement officers may pose as undercover prostitutes in an effort to investigate and prosecute prostitution cases. For example, in St. Internet websites and social media outlets are commonly used to advertise and solicit prostitution, and undercover police officers frequently locate and arrest suspects following online communication.
Generally, Minnesota courts have allowed police to mislead and even outright lie to individuals attempting to solicit a prostitute. Law enforcement has many powerful tools to investigate and prosecute prostitution in Minnesota. In Minnesota, there are three levels of solicitation charges β misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor and felony β and each carry serious penalties if convicted. The penalties can vary depending on the circumstances of each case. Whoever engages in prostitution with an individual 18 years of age or older or hires, offers to hire, or agrees to hire an individual 18 years of age or older to engage in sexual contact, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
In Minnesota it is a gross misdemeanor to solicit prostitution in a public place. Whoever, while acting as a patron, intentionally does any of the following while in a public place is guilty of a gross misdemeanor:. Minnesota courts have recognized several defense to first-time solicitation charges.
Anyone unlawfully entrapped into committing prostitution has the right to present the defense at trial. Neuville Law Office has been successfully defending the rights of the criminally accused in Minneapolis , St.
