legal question

[guns]

Hi guys . Just a quick question . I have been punting for a few years now and have been to flats where there are more than one girl working . What would happen if there was a raid on a flat and you were in there with more than one girl working as opposed to just a girl working herself . Would the punter be done as well as the girls ?

[Happyjose]

Hi guys . Just a quick question . I have been punting for a few years now and have been to flats where there are more than one girl working . What would happen if there was a raid on a flat and you were in there with more than one girl working as opposed to just a girl working herself . Would the punter be done as well as the girls ?

There have been many threads covering this over the years. From the Punting Wiki:

What about the Law?

In the United Kingdom it is legal for consenting adults to agree to a money-for-sex exchange. However, there are a number of related activities, including soliciting in a public place, kerb crawling, owning or managing a brothel and pimping that are classified as illegal. Furthermore, in England, Wales and in Northern Ireland it is an offence to pay for sex with a prostitute who has been “subjected to force” and this is a strict liability offence (clients can be prosecuted even if they did not know the prostitute was forced).

Please notice also that although the age of consent for non-commercial sex is 16, it is illegal to buy sex from a person younger than 18.

Brothels: Strictly speaking visiting a brothel (even though they are illegal) is not an offence. In the unlikely scenario that the brothel gets raided by the police while you are visiting, you may be asked to give your details. You must do so as giving false details may land you in trouble.

As long as you visit an independent prostitute, you are not breaking the law

***************************

Not sure if there are any fundamental differences in Scotland. Maybe others might enlighten us

[smiths]

Hi guys . Just a quick question . I have been punting for a few years now and have been to flats where there are more than one girl working . What would happen if there was a raid on a flat and you were in there with more than one girl working as opposed to just a girl working herself . Would the punter be done as well as the girls ?

A punter could only get done if it was proved a WG or WGs in the brothel was being coerced and/or was underage. Apart from that its legal for a punter to punt in a brothel, its the owner/pimp and anyone that actively helps them run it though not the WGs as long as they only work as WGs and don't answer the phone to punters.

One important point about what makes a premises a brothel is there doesn't have to be 2 WGs or more, 1 WG working say on a Monday but another WG working from the same premises on say a Tuesday also makes it a brothel.

[Happyjose]

My understanding is that more than one girl using the same premises, even if they use the flat at different times and on different days, still classes the premises as a brothel

Edit: Smiths beat me to it

[MrFox]

This is good to know, but raises the question, if I go to a WG1's apartment for the first time on a Monday, unknown WG2 works there on a Wednesday, how can I know it's a brothel before hand?

Also if it is not an offence to visit a brothel, then legally why am I required to give the police any details? The police can only obtain my details legally if I'm arrested for committing an offence, or by searching me and finding ID on my person. And of course before and after arrest I have the legal right to remain silent.

[Happyjose]

This is good to know, but raises the question, if I go to a WG1's apartment for the first time on a Monday, unknown WG2 works there on a Wednesday, how can I know it's a brothel before hand?

Also if it is not an offence to visit a brothel, then legally why am I required to give the police any details? The police can only obtain my details legally if I'm arrested for committing an offence, or by searching me and finding ID on my person. And of course before and after arrest I have the legal right to remain silent.

For the first part, you can't know, but it shouldn't matter as you are not committing any offence.

For the second part, you are probably right, but I would give my details and be honest about the fact that I had paid for sex, full expecting to hear no more about it. You're a braver man than me to play hardball with plod, particularly as I have no desire to be outed. I imagine they could find some excuse to fuck your day up.

[daviebond]

Yup...DONT...FUCK....WITH...THE...POLICE

[David1970]

I was punting with a girl in Glasgow today at her flat. Just after I finished there was a knock on the bedroom door, I said " who the fucks that". I was told by the girl she only rents the room and the other girl had a punt arranged in 15 mins. I never knew there were 2 girls working there.
What's the law?
If the police raid do you admit you were punting or claim she is a friend/girlfriend/causal fuck?

[mavgoose]

I was punting with a girl in Glasgow today at her flat. Just after I finished there was a knock on the bedroom door, I said " who the fucks that". I was told by the girl she only rents the room and the other girl had a punt arranged in 15 mins. I never knew there were 2 girls working there.
What's the law?
If the police raid do you admit you were punting or claim she is a friend/girlfriend/causal fuck?

I think you should name the girl David , to assist others (?)

[smiths]

I was punting with a girl in Glasgow today at her flat. Just after I finished there was a knock on the bedroom door, I said " who the fucks that". I was told by the girl she only rents the room and the other girl had a punt arranged in 15 mins. I never knew there were 2 girls working there.
What's the law?
If the police raid do you admit you were punting or claim she is a friend/girlfriend/causal fuck?

As has been posted apart from a WG being coerced or being underage you aren't breaking the law off/street punting, the worst thing to do in my view is lie to the police, it would take them a very short time to find out you were lying about a WG being a friend/girlfriend/causal fuck and why would the WG go along with that lie anyway, I certainly wouldn't rely on them backing me up to the police.

[donnymurdo]

This is good to know, but raises the question, if I go to a WG1's apartment for the first time on a Monday, unknown WG2 works there on a Wednesday, how can I know it's a brothel before hand?

Also if it is not an offence to visit a brothel, then legally why am I required to give the police any details? The police can only obtain my details legally if I'm arrested for committing an offence, or by searching me and finding ID on my person. And of course before and after arrest I have the legal right to remain silent.

You don't need to be arrested/charged withcommitting an offence for the police to have the right to ask you to ask for your details , unless you have a law degree and know the relevant part inside out I wouldn't be obstructive and would supply my details.
What I do know that if the police have asked you and they believe that you are giving false information then they have the right to take you into custody until your identity is verified , this is totally separate to if you committed an offence in the first place , giving false details is an offence in its own right .
In my experience if you cooperate then they are less likely to find something to charge you with.

[MrFox]

You don't need to be arrested/charged withcommitting an offence for the police to have the right to ask you to ask for your details , unless you have a law degree and know the relevant part inside out I wouldn't be obstructive and would supply my details.
What I do know that if the police have asked you and they believe that you are giving false information then they have the right to take you into custody until your identity is verified , this is totally separate to if you committed an offence in the first place , giving false details is an offence in its own right .
In my experience if you cooperate then they are less likely to find something to charge you with.

You are probably right that cooperating will prevent them pinning something/anything on you if they wanted.  You are wrong with that they have the (legal) 'right' to ask for your details when no offense has been committed and not under arrest. They can legally search you if they have reasonable cause.

No law degree required,  just know your rights.

[J_H]

My worry would be that they would put undue pressure on you to testify in court - then you're 'out'.

[donnymurdo]

You are probably right that cooperating will prevent them pinning something/anything on you if they wanted.  You are wrong with that they have the (legal) 'right' to ask for your details when no offense has been committed and not under arrest. They can legally search you if they have reasonable cause.

No law degree required,  just know your rights.

Thanks for the correction and explanation , and you prompted me to do a Google search about the laws in Scotland to learn a bit more about my rights , it's interesting that the other case where they can request your identity is if you are a witness to what may be an illegal act , in the example of a Brothel raid they would probably assume you are either complicit in running it , or a witness to its operation (as you are using its services) therefore they would probably just ask you as a witness .
But there may be reasons that would not apply