2015 -- H 5069

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LC000193

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- COMMERCIAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY --

PANDERING

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Costa, Chippendale, Casey, Morin, and Phillips

     Date Introduced: January 14, 2015

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 11-34.1-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-34.1 entitled

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"Commercial Sexual Activity" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-34.1-7. Pandering or permitting prostitution -- Not allowed. -- (a) It shall be

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unlawful for any person, by any promise or threat, by abuse of person, or by any other device or

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scheme, to cause, induce, persuade, or encourage a person to become a prostitute or to come into

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this state or leave this state for the purpose of prostitution. It shall be unlawful for any person to

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receive or give, or agree to receive or give, any money or thing of value for procuring or

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attempting to procure any person to become a prostitute or to come into this state or leave this

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state for the purpose of prostitution.

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      (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly permit, allow, transport, or offer or

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agree to receive any person into any place, structure, house, building, room, or business for the

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purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity, or knowingly permit any person to remain

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in the premises for those purposes, or to, in any way, aid or abet or participate in any of the acts

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or things enumerated in this chapter. Any person, knowing a person to be a prostitute, who shall

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live or derive support or maintenance, in whole or in part, from the earnings or proceeds of

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commercial sexual activity, from moneys loaned, advanced to, or charged against the prostitute

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by a landlord, manager, owner of a spa or business, or any other place where commercial sexual

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activity is practiced or allowed, or who shall share in the earnings, proceeds, or moneys shall be

 

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guilty of the crime of permitting prostitution.

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      (c) Every person who commits any of the offenses described in subsection (a) or

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subsection (b) of this section, or who assists, abets, or aids another to commit any of those

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offenses, shall be guilty of pandering. For the first offense, that person shall be punished by

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imprisonment for not less than one year and not more than five (5) years and a fine of not less

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than two thousand dollars ($2,000), nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). For every

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subsequent offense, that person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three (3)

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years and not more than ten (10) years and a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000),

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nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

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      (d) Any proceeds derived directly from a violation of this section are subject to seizure

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and forfeiture and further proceedings shall be required for their forfeiture as is prescribed by law

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in chapter 21 of title 12.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- COMMERCIAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY --

PANDERING

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     This act would expand the definition of pandering to include the person in control of the

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premises where prostitution occurs.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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