Ohio PROSTITUTION LAWS

Ohio Prostitution Laws

Section 2907.21 | Compelling prostitution.

(A) No person shall knowingly do any of the following:

(1) Compel another to engage in sexual activity for hire;

(2) Induce, procure, encourage, solicit, request, or otherwise facilitate either of the following:

(a) A minor to engage in sexual activity for hire, whether or not the offender knows the age of the minor;

(b) A person the offender believes to be a minor to engage in sexual activity for hire, whether or not the person is a minor.

(3)(a) Pay or agree to pay a minor, either directly or through the minor’s agent, so that the minor will engage in sexual activity, whether or not the offender knows the age of the minor;

(b) Pay or agree to pay a person the offender believes to be a minor, either directly or through the person’s agent, so that the person will engage in sexual activity, whether or not the person is a minor.

(4)(a) Pay a minor, either directly or through the minor’s agent, for the minor having engaged in sexual activity pursuant to a prior agreement, whether or not the offender knows the age of the minor;

(b) Pay a person the offender believes to be a minor, either directly or through the person’s agent, for the person having engaged in sexual activity pursuant to a prior agreement, whether or not the person is a minor.

(5)(a) Allow a minor to engage in sexual activity for hire if the person allowing the child to engage in sexual activity for hire is the parent, guardian, custodian, person having custody or control, or person in loco parentis of the minor;

(b) Allow a person the offender believes to be a minor to engage in sexual activity for hire if the person allowing the person to engage in sexual activity for hire is the parent, guardian, custodian, person having custody or control, or person in loco parentis of the person the offender believes to be a minor, whether or not the person is a minor.

(B) For a prosecution under division (A)(1) of this section, the element “compel” does not require that the compulsion be openly displayed or physically exerted. The element “compel” has been established if the state proves that the offender overcame the victim’s will by force, fear, duress, or intimidation, by furnishing or offering a controlled substance to the victim, or by manipulating the victim’s controlled substance addiction.

(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of compelling prostitution. Except as otherwise provided in this division, compelling prostitution is a felony of the third degree. If the offender commits a violation of division (A)(1) of this section and the person compelled to engage in sexual activity for hire in violation of that division is sixteen years of age or older but less than eighteen years of age, compelling prostitution is a felony of the second degree. If the offender commits a violation of division (A)(1) of this section and the person compelled to engage in sexual activity for hire in violation of that division is less than sixteen years of age, compelling prostitution is a felony of the first degree. If the offender in any case also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a specification as described in section 2941.1422 of the Revised Code that was included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging the offense, the court shall sentence the offender to a mandatory prison term as provided in division (B)(7) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code and shall order the offender to make restitution as provided in division (B)(8) of section 2929.18 of the Revised Code.

Section 2907.22 | Promoting prostitution.

(A) No person shall knowingly:

(1) Establish, maintain, operate, manage, supervise, control, or have an interest in a brothel or any other enterprise a purpose of which is to facilitate engagement in sexual activity for hire;

(2) Supervise, manage, or control the activities of a prostitute in engaging in sexual activity for hire;

(3) Transport another, or cause another to be transported, in order to facilitate the other person’s engaging in sexual activity for hire;

(4) For the purpose of violating or facilitating a violation of this section, induce or procure another to engage in sexual activity for hire.

(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of promoting prostitution, and the court shall sentence the offender as follows:

(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) or (3) of this section, promoting prostitution is a felony of the fourth degree.

(2) Except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, promoting prostitution is a felony of the third degree if any of the following apply:

(a) A prostitute in the brothel involved in the offense, or the prostitute whose activities are supervised, managed, or controlled by the offender, or the person transported, induced, or procured by the offender to engage in sexual activity for hire, is a minor, whether or not the offender knows the age of the minor.

(b) The offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of this section or a substantially similar violation of a law of another state or the United States.

(c) The offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of section 2925.03 of the Revised Code.

(3) If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more violations of this section or two or more substantially similar violations of a law of another state or the United States, promoting prostitution is a felony of the second degree.

(4) If the offender in any case also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a specification as described in section 2941.1422 of the Revised Code that was included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging the offense, the court shall sentence the offender to a mandatory prison term as provided in division (B)(7) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code and shall order the offender to make restitution as provided in division (B)(8) of section 2929.18 of the Revised Code.

(5) If the offender in any case also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a firearm specification of the type described in section 2941.141, 2941.144, or 2941.145 of the Revised Code that was included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging the offense, the court shall sentence the offender to a mandatory prison term as provided in division (B)(1)(a) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code.

Section 2907.23 | Enticement or solicitation to patronize a prostitute; procurement of a prostitute for another.

(A) No person, knowingly and for gain, shall do either of the following:

(1) Entice or solicit another to patronize a prostitute or brothel;

(2) Procure a prostitute for another to patronize, or take or direct another at the other’s request to any place for the purpose of patronizing a prostitute.

(B) No person, having authority or responsibility over the use of premises, shall knowingly permit such premises to be used for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity for hire.

(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of procuring. Except as otherwise provided in this division, procuring is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the prostitute who is procured, patronized, or otherwise involved in a violation of division (A)(2) of this section is under sixteen years of age at the time of the violation, regardless of whether the offender who violates division (A)(2) of this section knows the prostitute’s age, or if a prostitute who engages in sexual activity for hire in premises used in violation of division (B) of this section is under sixteen years of age at the time of the violation, regardless of whether the offender who violates division (B) of this section knows the prostitute’s age, procuring is a felony of the fourth degree. If the prostitute who is procured, patronized, or otherwise involved in a violation of division (A)(2) of this section is sixteen or seventeen years of age at the time of the violation or if a prostitute who engages in sexual activity for hire in premises used in violation of division (B) of this section is sixteen or seventeen years of age at the time of the violation, procuring is a felony of the fifth degree.

Section 2907.231 | Engaging in prostitution.

(A) As used in this section, “sexual activity for hire” means an implicit or explicit agreement to provide sexual activity in exchange for anything of value paid to the person engaging in such sexual activity, to any person trafficking that person, or to any person associated with either such person.

(B) No person shall recklessly induce, entice, or procure another to engage in sexual activity for hire in exchange for the person giving anything of value to the other person.

(C) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor of the first degree. In sentencing the offender under this division, the court shall require the offender to attend an education or treatment program aimed at preventing persons from inducing, enticing, or procuring another to engage in sexual activity for hire in exchange for the person giving anything of value to the other person and, notwithstanding the fine specified in division (A)(2)(a) of section 2929.28 of the Revised Code for a misdemeanor of the first degree, the court may impose upon the offender a fine of not more than one thousand five hundred dollars.

Section 2907.25 | Prostitution – after positive HIV test.

(A) No person shall engage in sexual activity for hire.

(B) No person, with knowledge that the person has tested positive as a carrier of a virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, shall engage in sexual activity for hire.

(C)(1) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of prostitution, a misdemeanor of the third degree.

(2) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of engaging in prostitution after a positive HIV test. If the offender commits the violation prior to July 1, 1996, engaging in prostitution after a positive HIV test is a felony of the second degree. If the offender commits the violation on or after July 1, 1996, engaging in prostitution after a positive HIV test is a felony of the third degree.

Section 2907.26 | Rules of evidence in brothel and prostitution cases.

(A) In any case in which it is necessary to prove that a place is a brothel, evidence as to the reputation of such place and as to the reputation of the persons who inhabit or frequent it, is admissible on the question of whether such place is or is not a brothel.

(B) In any case in which it is necessary to prove that a person is a prostitute, evidence as to the reputation of such person is admissible on the question of whether such person is or is not a prostitute.

(C) In any prosecution for a violation of sections 2907.21 to 2907.25 of the Revised Code, proof of a prior conviction of the accused of any such offense or substantially equivalent offense is admissible in support of the charge.

(D) The prohibition contained in division (D) of section 2317.02 of the Revised Code against testimony by a husband or wife concerning communications between them does not apply, and the accused’s spouse may testify concerning any such communication, in any of the following cases:

(1) When the husband or wife is charged with a violation of section 2907.21 of the Revised Code, and the spouse testifying was the victim of the offense;

(2) When the husband or wife is charged with a violation of section 2907.22 of the Revised Code, and the spouse testifying was the prostitute involved in the offense, or the person transported, induced, or procured by the offender to engage in sexual activity for hire;

(3) When the husband or wife is charged with a violation of section 2907.23 of the Revised Code, and the spouse testifying was the prostitute involved in the offense or the person who used the offender’s premises to engage in sexual activity for hire;

(4) When the husband or wife is charged with a violation of section 2907.24 or 2907.25 of the Revised Code.