Are you a lawyer? If you are defending a criminal case and are looking for expert advice regarding possible defences, case strategies, and information release management call us at: Please note: We do not accept legal aid certificate cases. All clients are handled on a private retainer only. Travel Effects What is Evidence? Prostitution Charges, Toronto Lawyer While the Criminal Code of Canada doesn't specifically criminalize the act of prostitution, it does make it a crime to communicate for the purpose of prostitution.
Criminal defence lawyers regularly defend prostitution related charges in the Toronto area. Communication for the purpose of prostitution Anyone who communicates with another person in attempt to obtain or sell prostitution services may be charged criminally in Canada. The law doesn't specify the means of communication, or that anything specific needs to be said, merely that the communication must be made with the intent to solicit prostitution services.
While some communications are fairly obvious i. For instance : If a man pulls up to a scantly clad woman at night and asks if she wants to take a ride, is this communicating for the purpose of prostitution? The answer depends on the intent of the man asking the question. The more unclear the statement in this case "take a ride" , the more difficult the case would be to prove in court. Language of "go for a date" is also often used which is ambiguous. The court would examine factors like the area of town, the appearance of the woman, the circumstances of the man, any statements made to the police by either parties, and all witness testimony to attempt to decipher the intent of the accused i.
Undercover police officers posing as prostitutes One common method of police investigation for prostitution related crimes is to send out officers dressed as undercover prostitutes, and, as men seeking prostitution services.
These officers hit the streets using audio and video equipment to catch prostitutes and their clients in the act. How can you tell if a prostitute is an undercover officer? This being said, undercover police are going to be looking to record clear statements of intent and thus will attempt to get suspects to state specifically what they are looking for. For example, if solicited to "take a drive", they may counter with "what for? They will likely be reluctant to get into a car without a statement of specifics.
