Sexual offences Bill

[redone7010]

With respect, this is nonsense. Courts decide who is guilty, not the police. If both the girl and I claim that I only paid for and received a massage, there is no evidence of an offence and there will be no court case or publicity.

What will likely happen is that the police will set up a profile on E-I or might force a girl, caugt in a brothel situation to hand over her phone. They will get the plonkers ringing up to inquire if they will Get A and OWO for their €50. They will be told ‘sure, in the ass and without protection. See you baby!!’. Plonker arrives at the apartment and is swiftly collared. The police have Plonker, his phone and a recording of his conversation.

With the right advertisement, the police could collar over 10 plonkers in a 24 hour period. Escorts will tell you how many plonkers are out there. The police and the newspapers will have their publicity and everyone will lose interest until some politician is caught in a sting.

There is a disquieting aspect that occurs to me about all this. Offering sex will still be legal. What is to stop some newspaper setting up a girl and using her to gather evidence against many newsworthy men over a long period? What is to stop the girl going into business for herself? The scope for blackmail under this new law must be huge.

Unde the new law the charges will come under the purchase of sexual services and as such only the purchaser will be charged, so there will be no onus on the escort to give evidence as she will have no charges against her. I doubt if any escort is going to turn up on her own volition to give evidence in that scenario.
As to the courts deciding who is guilty, if it comes down to a garda`s word against your`s in a prosecution taken by the state, do you really in all respect believe that the court will except your word over a garda`s?

[redone7010]

Is it not in our interest to keep our clients safe, based on the fact that most of us rely on our regulars for a regular income? News would soon get around if we were not safe to visit. Or maybe you think we're all cut throat and don't care about our clients?

So if a punter is collared after leaving an escort she will turn up in court to say he was not purchasing sexual service ?
Would that not be an excellent way to take care of a punter and ensure he would not be convicted and have his name published in the local paper ?
Pigs and flying come to mind

[Curvaceous Kate]

So if a punter is collared after leaving an escort she will turn up in court to say he was not purchasing sexual service ?
Would that not be an excellent way to take care of a punter and ensure he would not be convicted and have his name published in the local paper ?
Pigs and flying come to mind

I would and at the same time put to bed what they 'think' I'm doing, so I can get on with my job without being watched.

Having said that, I doubt I'll get targeted as I don't see enough people to make it viable to stake my workplace out. It wouldn't pay their wages.

[Meursault]

I would and at the same time put to bed what they 'think' I'm doing, so I can get on with my job without being watched.

Having said that, I doubt I'll get targeted as I don't see enough people to make it viable to stake my workplace out. It wouldn't pay their wages.

there will be a swat team with helicopters outside every escorts house

[redone7010]

Actually it's not really financially viable for the government (and by extension taxpayer) to be funding much more. The country is bankrupt, as bankrupt as it's ever been. So bankrupt in fact that they're borrowing for the day to day running of the place and have been for some time now, they might talk about closing the deficit but they're not going to turn around to the welfare recipients and tell them sorry. It would be akin to you or I having to borrow to feed ourselves, the revenue from fines ain't going to cut it.

Even in countries that have this stupid law, regardless of its existence there are countless Escorts advertising there as we speak.

Example:
http://stockholm.backpage.com/FemaleEscorts/

Stop with the fear mongering and giving the authorities way too much credit.

If you take a look at the post on this thread by Danny2011 regarding a new garda unit just announced by the garda commissioner for the enforcement of this new law I don`t feel I`m giving the authorities way to much credit.
A new unit like this will be out to justify it`s existence and imo will be eager to get as much publicity as possible by proscetuting punters and getting as much media coverage from doing so as they can get. Something I`m sure journalists, especially those working for the "red tops", will be happy to do through coverage of court cases and highlighted by photos and addresses of those prosecuted.

[SteveB]

They don't generally bother to enforce the powers they have now. Just the odd raid here and there.

[redone7010]

I would and at the same time put to bed what they 'think' I'm doing, so I can get on with my job without being watched.

Having said that, I doubt I'll get targeted as I don't see enough people to make it viable to stake my workplace out. It wouldn't pay their wages.

With the announcement of a new garda unit part of which`s mandate is to enforce this new law, that is exactly what they will be doing, watching where they suspect escorts are working and picking up punters as they leave. They will not need to name a specific escort in court, nor will the be prosecuting escorts. This law is to prosecute the punters, so if they have a number of punters up in front of a judge and a garda giving evidence that all of said punters have visited the same address over a certain time and that the garda are stating that in their opinion these people were visiting for the purpose of purchasing sexual services do you really believe that a judge isn`t going to convict and the papers publish the story listing all names and addresses ?
It was fun while it lasted, but I`m afraid with this new law, the good times are over, or will be as soon as the first cases hit the courts.

[Curvaceous Kate]

there will be a swat team with helicopters outside every escorts house

Cool, do you think they would go out and get milk for me if I ask nicely?

[redone7010]

They don't generally bother to enforce the powers they have now. Just the odd raid here and there.

Other than prosecution regarding a brothel they had little or no powers to prosecute punters. That`s changed now with this new law, and under it the odd raid here and there with punters being named in open court and the papers being more than eager to publish the names and addresses of the punters it will be all they need to scare the vast majority of punters off visiing escorts.

[Curvaceous Kate]

With the announcement of a new garda unit part of which`s mandate is to enforce this new law, that is exactly what they will be doing, watching where they suspect escorts are working and picking up punters as they leave. They will not need to name a specific escort in court, nor will the be prosecuting escorts. This law is to prosecute the punters, so if they have a number of punters up in front of a judge and a garda giving evidence that all of said punters have visited the same address over a certain time and that the garda are stating that in their opinion these people were visiting for the purpose of purchasing sexual services do you really believe that a judge isn`t going to convict and the papers publish the story listing all names and addresses ?
It was fun while it lasted, but I`m afraid with this new law, the good times are over, or will be as soon as the first cases hit the courts.

Why are you talking to me like I don't know what the law is about? I wrote a submission to the DAIL apposing it and have attended a meeting with Lord Morrow and the DUP cronnies present, so I do have an inkling.

They do have to have some proof. They cannot rely on hearsay and guess work. If a client is stupid enough to be approached and admit to having just paid for sex then that is their look out, but the rule is... deny, deny, deny and say as little as possible.

Also, if that is the case, how come that sex work has not been eradicated in Sweden a decade on?