first time offense now a FELONY in Texas

[TinMan]

Originally Posted by Chung Tran

''Last minute'' tip.

Flood any and every lady you are remotely interested in, with emails and texts in the next 10 hours.. Time stamped. That gives you August 31 as your ''contract proposal'' should something go wrong. Follow up communication is about details, not the offer.

And then you have a paper trail proving you negotiated the rate. If the act occurs after 8/31, I don’t like your chances.

[texassapper]

Originally Posted by amexblack

Sounds overly broad and unconstitutional.

4500 criminal laws and 300,000 criminal regulations that result in average Americans unknowingly engaging in criminal acts at least three times a day....

The goal is to make every citizen a criminal because criminals are easier to rule. It's hard to rule over free citizens.

[wizzbang]

I've read all new statutes. This is a bigger deal than people are making it our to be. Just be warned.

[Wile E Coyote]

Originally Posted by wizzbang

I've read all new statutes. This is a bigger deal than people are making it our to be. Just be warned.

Yep, and it is getting rid of trolls from this site to disable their accounts/retire from the hobby (a few already have).

[Grace Preston]

Originally Posted by wizzbang

I've read all new statutes. This is a bigger deal than people are making it our to be. Just be warned.

Yep. The wording of the new statutes is...... interesting.


Honestly, its going to become about risk mitigation for some folk. Some folk have a LOT to lose and are just going to poof and stick to regulars (or bow out completely). Some have a bit to lose and may stick around, but will be a lot more quiet. Others have nothing to lose and will pretty much continue on as they have.



I think the way some folks hobby is going to shift a bit, that's for sure. But like all changes-- the hobby isn't going anywhere, it will just shift and keep on trucking.

[BLM69]

Originally Posted by Chung Tran

''Last minute'' tip.

Flood any and every lady you are remotely interested in, with emails and texts in the next 10 hours.. Time stamped. That gives you August 31 as your ''contract proposal'' should something go wrong. Follow up communication is about details, not the offer.

I made/stuffed some new contacts before the deadline, I wanna see what the next few weeks bring

[rexdutchman]

Providers gonna be hurting till the dust clears ,,, DMN today 650 + new laws does anyone else think this is crazy ,,, everything's gonna be illegal
Also my opinion now johns arrested are gonna fight the charges soo layers mo money

[wizzbang]

This is the one that has me wondering the most. I mean, how are review sites gonna maintain a presence:

Sec. 43.041. AGGRAVATED ONLINE PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION. (a) A person commits an offense if the person owns, manages, or operates an interactive computer service or information content provider, or operates as an information content provider, with the intent to promote the prostitution of five or more persons or facilitate five or more persons to engage in prostitution.

(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if the actor:

(1) has been previously convicted of an offense under this section; or

(2) engages in conduct described by Subsection (a) involving two or more persons younger than 18 years of age engaging in prostitution, regardless of whether the actor knows the age of the persons at the time of the offense.

[Wile E Coyote]

Originally Posted by wizzbang

This is the one that has me wondering the most. I mean, how are review sites gonna maintain a presence:

Sec. 43.041. AGGRAVATED ONLINE PROMOTION OF PROSTITUTION. (a) A person commits an offense if the person owns, manages, or operates an interactive computer service or information content provider, or operates as an information content provider, with the intent to promote the prostitution of five or more persons or facilitate five or more persons to engage in prostitution.

(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if the actor:

(1) has been previously convicted of an offense under this section; or

(2) engages in conduct described by Subsection (a) involving two or more persons younger than 18 years of age engaging in prostitution, regardless of whether the actor knows the age of the persons at the time of the offense.

It appears that the government is trying to make the review boards go away to make it tougher on the consumer. After all, when it comes to the hobby, it is easier for a john to sign up on website, scan reviews and other intel on providers to see who he would like to see than to say, contact escort services out of the phone book and he hopes for the best.

Of course, this board and OH2 have been almost just like a shot in the dark with the pimp ad reviews, self reviews by a mandle and fake reviews by a WK, but that is another topic.

The oldest profession in the world is never going to go away, but if they can get even a handful of guys and girls that will shy away from hobbying, the new law will be a success.

One thing is for sure, I would hate to be an owner or staff member of a whore board with this law enacted.

[TinMan]

Whizzbang, is that the final language? I thought 43.031 had been changed (quote from another thread):

Originally Posted by TinMan

I wonder if this section of the law changes anything about how SJ views the risk to guys who provide content (including reviews) on sites like this:

SECTION 55. Section 43.031(a), Penal Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person owns, manages,
or operates an interactive computer service or information content
provider, or operates as an information content provider, with the
intent to promote the prostitution of another person or facilitate
another person to engage in prostitution or solicitation of
prostitution.

The bold represents the part that causes me to ask the question. The underlined was added to the already existing statute.

It’s kinda odd that two separate sections of the Penal Code were changed, but maybe I wasn’t looking at the final version as I had thought.

[Buckwiser]

Good catch, Tin Man.

Also, Democrats and Republicans at the Federal level seem to be moving towards modifying the Communications Decency Act so as to strip Facebook and other social media platforms of some or all of their protections from liability for their user's conduct/content.

The new language added to this Texas law may be anticipating a time soon when social media sites like Eccie will lose their CDA liability protection.

It's difficult or impossible to find any social media platform in the USA that permits *exchange* of information about the committing of felony crimes. Would a social media platform entertain a community of car thieves discussing their latest thefts? Or a community devoted to the buying and selling of illegal substances?

Hosting such content would probably cause the social media company to be shut down by their host.

So, since solicitation is now a felony in Texas, perhaps we can expect Texas to soon move against social media sites like Eccie and Ourhome.

[Wile E Coyote]

Just looking at and reading the social platforms for prostitution is not really proof that prostitution is actually occuring. But since anyone can sign up on these boards, one way to find out and make busts is, LE can do both types of operations of being a provider to catch johns or a hobbyist to catch providers, and those acts of exchanging money for sex seen on camera that can be played in court as concrete evidence to convict of the now felony. And because it is now a felony, LE may be more inclined to set up those kind of stings more than before. New players to the game should make your radar go up.

After so many successful sting operations stemming from initial contact on it, then the site will probably be shut down and the owner and staff of the site held liable for promotion.

Like AMPs that accepted walkins as opposed to studios, agencies and indys that screened clients, the same will be true for the low hanging fruit of other avenues of this hobby world that rarely if ever screen to bust first so they are better equipped with what they need to conquer the internet review platforms that the individual members screen better.

[TinMan]

I think the easier route is for them to use LC or RR to ensnare guys. It’s much easier for them to hide, and all they have to do is post an ad with little information, wait for guys to ask for details, and bust them when they show up for the appointment.

Scams and fake ads are already rampant on those sites, much more than here and OH2, so that’s the easiest path to making headlines.

[wizzbang]

I think those servers (LC, RR) are in Europe and may be out of reach to Texas Law.

[Wile E Coyote]

Originally Posted by wizzbang

I think those servers (LC, RR) are in Europe and may be out of reach to Texas Law.

Maybe, but it will not prevent Texas LE from creating ads and setting up stings locally.