Many hobbyist do not realize that Illinois have the one of the harshest penalty for a hobbyist. If you got caught patronizing a prostitute, it is a Class 4 felony. You may not go to jail but the conviction can lead to employment denial or fire from a job. This is very serious problem. Very few people ever got charged with patronizing a prostitute. Most Johns and Hobbyist got caught with soliciting a sex act which is a Class A misdemeanor.

There is a city councilman that got charged with this crime in Illinois. Some backpage.com escort turn on him and her boyfriend identify him. The councilman was having some political enemies in politics. He was charged with the crime. If convicted, he will lose his seat and got a class 4 felony on his rap sheet.  



   (720 ILCS 5/11-18) (from Ch. 38, par. 11-18)
   Sec. 11-18. Patronizing a prostitute.
   (a) Any person who knowingly performs any of the following acts with a person not his or her spouse commits patronizing a prostitute:
       (1) Engages in an act of sexual penetration as  
    defined in Section 11-0.1 of this Code with a prostitute; or

       (2) Enters or remains in a place of prostitution with  
    intent to engage in an act of sexual penetration as defined in Section 11-0.1 of this Code; or

       (3) Engages in any touching or fondling with a  
    prostitute of the sex organs of one person by the other person, with the intent to achieve sexual arousal or gratification.  

   (b) Sentence.
   Patronizing a prostitute is a Class 4 felony, unless committed within 1,000 feet of real property comprising a school, in which case it is a Class 3 felony.

The law was arrived at by interviewing busted hobbyists to find out what it would take to get them to stop. They all answerred with some extreme measure like making it a felony to hobby. Presto! The lawmakers come up with this drconian penalty.

I do not envy anyone who must live in Illinois.

I somehow have my doubts.

I thought the reason for this recent switch was to get more convictions by inducing arrestees to cop to the lesser misdeameanor offense instead of facing a conviction on the greater felony offense.

But as the OP infers, it can also be used selectively for political reasons.

(still not a lawyer)

I keep warning them about this new law and backpages.
It feels like it goes on deaf ears.

Kisses
JC

I read that the effect on demand based law enforcement in Sweden was to push the activity further underground.

from Peoria.  The charges were dropped last April.

Yes, the charges was drop. The backpage.com escort was missing. The escort is the prosecutor's key witness and did not show up.

I like it when somebody says "but I'm not a lawyer"  I can't say that.  I would like to see the full statute and the IL. statute defining a prostitute, if the statute in question doesn't have its own definition of a prostitute.

I don't live in IL., but the US Constitution and certain basic legal principles are the same throughout the country.   What I read of the  statute from what is posted on this forum, raise Constitutional issues in my mind, but I'd like to see the whole thing.  Will somebody post it or PM it to me.
Also, is Gay marriage allowed in IL?  Please somebody from IL who knows.

Can anyone see Chicago without prostitution?  Imagine the crime spree, Like Prohibition?
SF has or is thinking of ending enforcement of prostitution.  I wonder if Chicago would change that much over this law, if a case isn't thrown in LE's face after a short while?

I'm preparing a seminar for providers  on Criminal law, practical protection  from harm and government.  Perhaps, hobbyist would you be interested in something like this from your side?  What you'd like to see covered?    Also, Providers what would you like covered?

Two things need to be drilled into the heads of all hobbyist, IMHO:

1.  Practice defensive hobbying and avoid meeting up with LE by sticking to well reviewed gals.  Learn how to detect traps like gals who try to discuss sex for money over the phone or in emails, etc.

2.  If you do come face to face with LE, STFU!  In other words, drill the Fifth Amendment into their heads.  Learn the traps of avoiding answering LE who say shit like:  "If you'll just level with us then we can make sure you'll be OK."

(still not a lawyer)

Making hobbying a class 4 felony did not deter people from hobbying.  There are hundreds of escorting agencies and thousands of escorts operating in Chicago. If there is not a great demand, there will not be that many escorts and escort agencies.
All this law is a scare tactic. Patronizing a prostitute used to be a Class A misdemeanor but the legislator upgrade it to a Class 4 felony between 1990-2005.  
This law did nothing to deter prostitution.  Very few people ever got charged with this law. Most were charged with soliciting a sex act which is a Class A misdemeanor.

I would be interested in such a seminar but how would you do it? Would it be like a class room situation at a location or a webinar? How would hobbyist protect his privacy?

A business classroom with screening of attendants.  I was hoping to keep this limited to TER members so it would be easier to screen.  TER board rules has now made it difficult to get the word out.