Utah moves to make 'acting too sexy' in public illegal, in bid to crack down on prostitution

OFF THE WIRE
By Daily Mail Reporter
In a major crackdown on prostitution a new law has made it illegal for people to touch themselves in a lewd way.
Two escort services in Utah have filed a lawsuit to try to stop the solicitation law, claiming strippers or escorts could be arrested just for acting sexy.
A person agreeing to sex in exchange for money is how solicitation is defined in Utah.

Protective measures: The new ruling broadens the definition of soliciting and aims to protect police officers and get young prostitutes off the streets.

The new law, which was introduced in the state earlier this month, has broadened the definition to include any person who indicates through acts such as exposing or touching themselves that they intend to exchange sex for money.
Lawyer Andrew McCullough, who is representing the escort services in the federal lawsuit filed May 9, said the law is so broad it could lead to police officers arresting pole dancers or strippers who are just doing their job.
The expanded law includes language that states that a person exposing their genitals or touching themselves sexually is an indication that they are offering sex.
Mr McCullough said: 'Most girls who touch their breasts are not telling you they're open for sex.'
He added the law is 'virtually identical' to one struck down by a federal judge as being unconstitutional in 1988.
The Utah law could be used by police to hassle businesses protected by the First Amendment, Mr McCullough said.
He cited as an example the case of a semi-nude dancer at a strip club who could be arrested for 'suggestively thrusting.'
Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank defended the new law on Friday.
He said it was introduced to help law enforcement agents working undercover in prostitution stings.
He said it would protect officers who were being asked by prostitutes to expose or touch themselves to prove they're not police, because making such requests as a precursor to offering sex for money is illegal under the new law.

New targets? Opponents of the new law say pole dancers or strippers could be arrested just for doing their job..

Mr Burbank said: 'Officers were being put in a position that we're not going to allow, so we took a different direction.'
He added that under the new law officers would not target anyone who is not a prostitute, the Huffington Post reports.
Arrests will be made by undercover officers and only when it becomes obvious that a deal is being arranged, he said.
Utah House Minority Whip Jennifer Seelig, who sponsored the bill, said she worked with many different groups, including defence attorneys, to iron out legal issues with the law.
She said the intent is to target prostitutes, especially underage ones who are forced into the sex trade and trained to evade arrest, adding that the arrest would be the first step in helping them get off the streets.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389365/Utah-moves-make-acting-sexy-public-illegal-bid-crack-prostitution.html#ixzz1Mzr6SAKC