On November 7, Logan Township Police arrested and charged a 46-year-old woman with possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility, and prostitution.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, officers launched a narcotics and prostitution investigation following a tip regarding “individuals using a website to conduct illegal transactions of sexual acts for money.” Posing as sex buyers, officers report they contacted a number on the site and made a deal to purchase one gram of cocaine and exchange $150 for “unprotected full service,” referring to sexual services. Court documents state the woman told the officers she would obtain the gram from someone in her building.
After sending the agreed payment via a cellphone app, the undercover officers reportedly arrived at the predetermined location to meet the woman. After entering the officer’s vehicle, the woman allegedly handed over the suspected cocaine and then was taken to a secondary location, where she was put into custody. Police records state the woman told officers she was not being directed by anyone else to advertise for prostitution.
Bail was set at $50,000. Unable to post bail, the woman was remanded to the Blair County Prison to await a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 20, 2024.
The CSE Institute is disappointed in the Logan Township Police Department and Blair County for their decisions to charge and prosecute this woman for prostitution. In situations such as this, we encourage law enforcement to look into the nuances of the situation to determine if the subject is being exploited.
Here, there is evidence that the arrestee was suffering from a possible substance dependency. Although the subject alleges that she is not being “directed” by anyone, it is important to look at the systemic factors surrounding her “choice.” Even in situations when there is not a physical trafficker, exploitation can stem from poverty, addiction, or mental illness. For many individuals in the sex trade, sexual exploitation and substance use are inextricably bound to trauma. Not only do drugs and alcohol often become coping mechanisms for those in the sex trade, but they also often contribute to the vulnerability that lends itself to victims’ exploitation in the first place. In many cases, addiction is weaponized as a tool of coercion. Any “choice” made in these circumstances is no choice at all.
Given this context, we are disappointed in law enforcement’s decision to perpetuate this woman’s victimization by criminalizing her, because she should not be criminalized for her exploitation or crimes resulting from her exploitation.
Instead of targeting vulnerable people in prostitution, the CSE Institute encourages law enforcement to investigate the sex buyers who were soliciting sexual services from this website. Charging people with prostitution does nothing to eradicate the sex trade. It is the traffickers and buyers who perpetuate sexual exploitation and keep the commercial sex trade alive.
The CSE Institute advocates for the Equality Model to combat commercial sexual exploitation. The Equality Model seeks to reduce the demand for commercial sex by criminalizing sex buyers and traffickers and decriminalizing prostituted people. The four pillars of the Equality Model are: (1) decriminalization of the person who is selling sex, (2) criminalization of sex buyers and facilitators, (3) educating the public about the harms of prostitution, and (4) funded, holistic exit services for victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
Combatting commercial sexual exploitation requires holding sex buyers accountable and identifying and supporting victims. We hope that law enforcement and the district attorney’s offices will use their power to do justice for victims, rather than perpetuate their criminalization. The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as this matter unfolds.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.