On May 19, Scranton police arrested a Wyoming County woman for allegedly engaging in prostitution. According to the criminal complaint, the Scranton Police Street Crimes Unit had launched an investigation into suspected prostitution activities.
The investigation followed activity on a website used for facilitating prostitution, providing patrons with descriptions of sex acts, payment methods and locations. The woman allegedly agreed to meet with an investigator, who was posing as a commercial sex buyer. Upon arriving at the agreed location, officers purportedly observed Fletcher walking in “with her boyfriend.” When police approach her, the woman claimed that instead of engaging in commercial sex, she planned on robbing the supposed sex buyer.
The woman was charged with a misdemeanor of the third degree. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Monday, July 21.
While the CSE Institute does not condone the alleged attempted robbery, we are disappointed in the Scranton Police Department for their decision to charge and prosecute the woman. In situations such as these, we encourage law enforcement to investigate the nuances of the situation to determine if the subjects are being exploited. Despite our support for investigations into prostitution related activities, these investigations should target traffickers, commercial sex buyers and facilitators, not victims of exploitation.
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. Here, officers should have instead investigated and surveilled those looking to purchase sex acts on the website, those profiting from prostitution and those posting the advertisements of the women. Further, the officers at the scene of the arrest could have investigated the woman’s “boyfriend.” One common manipulation technique used by traffickers is the “romeo pimp” method, in which traffickers approach victims under the guise of a romantic relationship and eventually exploit them through the commercial sex trade. It is this cycle of abuse that must be prosecuted rather than criminalizing victims for their own victimization.
When officers target people in prostitution, it sends the message that commercial sex buyers should be pitied. In reality, people in prostitution are subjected to high levels physical and psychological violence by commercial sex buyers who dehumanize and objectify those in the sex trade.
The CSE Institute advocates for the Equality Model to combat commercial sexual exploitation, which seeks to reduce the demand for commercial sex by criminalizing sex buyers and traffickers and decriminalizing people in prostitution.
Combatting commercial sexual exploitation requires holding sex buyers accountable and identifying and supporting victims. We hope that law enforcement and prosecutors will use their power and discretion 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.