Office of the Indiana Attorney General
Indiana's attorney general is using the recent conviction of Subway spokesman Jared Fogle on child porn charges to push mandatory jail time for anyone who solicits prostitution. What does one have to do with the other, you might ask? There's the reality answer (nothing), and then there's the drivel being pushed by people like Attorney General Greg Zoeller: that the demand for adult sex workers "fuels" child sexual exploitation somehow.
Nevermind the fact that most people seeking consensual sex with adults wouldn't dream of raping children; they're all deviants in Zoeller's mind, and should be dealt with accordingly.
"We need something that sends the message, 'If caught, you will spend the night in jail, so don't risk your family, your wife, your children's respect or your job,'" said Zoeller, who is proposing the creation of a mandatory minimum sentencing requirement for those who attempt to pay for sex in any way. He is currently working with the state legislature to institute the tougher penalties, which may also include impounding sex buyers' cars.
Right now, soliciting prostitution is a Class A misdemeanor in Indiana, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. But Zoeller is upset that these penalties are rarely given. "Jail time should be understood" for solicitation, he said, though no word on how much jail time he thinks is appropriate.
Expect to see more of this nonsense around the country, soon—the folks at the National Association of Attorneys General have been salivating at the chance to throw more people in our already-overcrowded jails urging states across the nation to stiffen up penalties for prostitution clients, and many have obliged. Florida last year became the first to stipulate a mandatory minimum sentencing requirement for solicitation. Anyone convicted of a second solicitation offense must be sentenced to at least 10 days in jail and attend classes where they will receive counseling for sex addiction and be reeducated to see the evils of consensual commercial sex.
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