Question. ...not sure if explained here already

[Heidi the Housewife]

Use of a Facility in Interstate Commerce to Promote a Business Enterprise Involving Prostitution

i just read the above in a news article. I hesitate to post the link as it gives the Sites owner name, don't want to out someone. This owner is facing 20 counts of the above along with various other charges.

If this has been discussed before, I'm sorry, yet, may someone explain What constitutes infraction to get this charge? .I'm not sure how an owner of a website can face such charges since I'm not fully understanding what leads or is required to get such a charge. Hell, not even sure I'm asking the right questions

Thank you for your time

Aloha

[rolltide32505]

Thats a good one girlie.

[Heidi the Housewife]

Ok, I just read a thread on TOB kinda explaining as it pertains to a Colorado board owner. The Fed's shut his board down last August.

I was just curious as I would of thought Travel Act would apply. Maybe more will be revealed on the 20th. I'm only getting information from Denver Post and Fox News.

Thank you anyway

Aloha from South Florida

[ShysterJon]

When someone posts a question like this, I wonder: Why do you want to know? Do you run a hooker board? Or do you just harbor idle curiosity?

[Heidi the Housewife]

Originally Posted by ShysterJon

When someone posts a question like this, I wonder: Why do you want to know? Do you run a hooker board? Or do you just harbor idle curiosity?

Good morning

Neither!!

I used to post on that board, as did many in Colorado. I just want to fully understand the charges.
Was not sure if I could post links to story as TOB deleted first thread on story and I haven't checked if second thread is still up.

I've learned a lot by reading the questions and replies here, this is a great sub forum. I'm not a lawyer and when Redbook was shut down, you taught me about the Mann Act and Travel Act from your response.
Sorry if my question made anyone uneasy not my intention, just wanted to understand charges and figured this was a safe place to ask.

Anyway, thank you for your time

Aloha
Heidi the Housewife
the Maui Muse

[ShysterJon]

Originally Posted by Heidi the Housewife

Use of a Facility in Interstate Commerce to Promote a Business Enterprise Involving Prostitution

i just read the above in a news article. I hesitate to post the link as it gives the Sites owner name, don't want to out someone. This owner is facing 20 counts of the above along with various other charges.

By any stretch of the imagination, it wouldn't be 'outing' someone to refer to a public news story. I'll assume you're referring to Sowet.com, which apparently was based in Denver. See:

'Proprietor of ‘Sowet’ website indicted for promoting massage parlors offering sexual services'

From that news story, I can surmise that the following is the law used to charge Sowet's owner:

18 U.S. Code § 1952 - Interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises.

(a) Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses the mail or any facility in interstate or foreign commerce, with intent to—
(1) distribute the proceeds of any unlawful activity; or
(2) commit any crime of violence to further any unlawful activity; or
(3) otherwise promote, manage, establish, carry on, or facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, or carrying on, of any unlawful activity, and thereafter performs or attempts to perform—
(A) an act described in paragraph (1) or (3) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both; or
(B) an act described in paragraph (2) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
(b) As used in this section (i) "unlawful activity" means
(1) any business enterprise involving gambling, liquor on which the Federal excise tax has not been paid, narcotics or controlled substances (as defined in section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act), or prostitution offenses in violation of the laws of the State in which they are committed or of the United States,
(2) extortion, bribery, or arson in violation of the laws of the State in which committed or of the United States, or
(3) any act which is indictable under subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code, or under section 1956 or 1957 of this title and
(ii) the term "State" includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(c) Investigations of violations under this section involving liquor shall be conducted under the supervision of the Attorney General.
(d) If the offense under this section involves an act described in paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection (a) and also involves a pre-retail medical product (as defined in section 670), the punishment for the offense shall be the same as the punishment for an offense under section 670 unless the punishment under subsection (a) is greater.

See http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1952 (emphasis added).

I know nothing about the specific facts leading to the indictment of the owner of Sowet. However, I can guess that the feds went after him because he was greedy, sloppy, notorious, and used underage girls in his bordellos, and neighbors complained. Those are reasons the feds have gone after other prostitution enterprises.