I saw the following snippet in a newspaper piece about a former Waterbury, CT mayor, and it really got my attention:

"Giordano, 39, has pleaded innocent to 18 federal charges that he violated the civil rights of two preteen girls by abusing them, conspiring with a prostitute, and using his cell phone — an interstate device — to set up sexual liaisons with them."

There's been a lot of discussion of fed investigation and/or involvement in our hobby, but this was my first time I've seen use of a cell phone as a tool to get the feds involved.  I know this is going to make me even more hesitant to use my cell in making appts with providers.

Any thoughts, folks?

Haz

Use of a phone could be use of a "facility in interstate commerce" for purposes of the Travel Act.
http://theeroticreview.com/msgBoard/viewmsg.asp?BoardID=25&SortBy=DateCreated%20desc&SearchType=1&Author=crawford&DayFrom=300&DayTo=100&Submit=Submit&MessageID=1360


Some courts have held that the phone signal must travel across state lines even though the phone call is between two persons within the same state.   But the conservative judges of the 7th ciruit recently held that a purely in state phone call could be enough.
http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/98/98-40568-cr1.htm

This case is a murder for hire case, but the reasoning applies to prostitution cases under the Travel Act also.

If they want to get the feds involved, they don't need your cell phone, they'll use anything they want.  Why, did you use an ink pen to write down a number, or the hotel name, or directions?  Was that pen manufactured in the same state you reside in?  If it wasn't, INTERSTATE COMMERCE, if it was, then were all of the parts manufactured in your state, or was it only assembled there?  Maybe it was distributed by a company that is incorporated in another state, as most are incorporated in delaware...Interstate Commerce...it's everywhere!!!!!

But not a lawyer, so what the hell do I know?  I'm just another entertainer....