An Act To Prohibit a Person under 18 Years of Age from Being Charged with the Crime of Engaging in Prostitution
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §853-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 476, §29, is further amended to read:
1. A person who is 18 years of age or older is guilty of engaging in prostitution if:
A. The person engages in prostitution as defined in section 851. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime, except that the sentencing alternative may include only the penalties provided in section 1301; or
B. The person violates paragraph A and, at the time of the offense, the person has one or more prior convictions under this section or for engaging in substantially similar conduct to that contained in this section in another jurisdiction. Section 9-A governs the use of prior convictions when determining a sentence, except that, for the purposes of this paragraph, the date of the prior conviction may not precede the commission of the offense by more than 2 years. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime.
summary
This bill prohibits minors from being charged with the crime of engaging in prostitution.