Rochester PD assisted.    Names included in article so I can't post the link

...have been involved. All 3, however, refer to these standard, typical LE stings as sex trafficking but there's nothing to support that the imaginary women who were used to entice innocent, norrmal every day working Joes were being trafficked by imaginary pimps. Have the media become so brain washed that any normal Solicitation of Prostitution charge is referred to as sex trafficking?!  Where's their journalistic integrity? All of these news reporters should be fired for not doing their due diligence and rooting out the facts before reporting such lies.

These stings appeared to be a lazy and futile approach to combat sex trafficking. Going after the demand isn't going to do it. They should put more effort on the the suppliers, i.e. pimps, instead.  

I was just mentioning how the media is over using the word "trafficking" . I feel the same way.  

The link is to the US Senate that just passed a trafficking bill that equates prostitution with trafficking and will give the feds and local LE much more enforcement power and federal money.  It's not the news reports that are the problem imo, it is that the laws are blurring the line.  The intent is to make prostitution busts potential felonies.  We all want real trafficking laws to stop actual trafficking, but the breadth and scope of this new law and how it will be used against us has to be a concern for everyone in P4P.  I have posted on this topic before and was told, "isn't going to happen".  Guess what? If this law is signed by the Prez (and He says he supports it) then we will see its effects filter down to the local level in time.

Its only illegal when you exchange money or something of value for sex.   It seems to me that there ought to be a way around that issue which would then make it legal.

You just read that the transaction would take place in another country under laws outside of the U.S. using a form of currency that for the most part is anonymous and difficult to track.  

Minnesota Statute 609.321:
Subd. 9.Prostitution. "Prostitution" means hiring, offering to hire, or agreeing to hire another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact, or being hired, offering to be hired, or agreeing to be hired by another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.
 
Notice it doesn't say "money", it could be an offer of travel, shopping or anything of value.

have reasonably good info that the clients believed they were coming to see minors

Neither of the stings mentioned had anything to do with trafficking.   These are run of the mill busts of Johns showing up at hotels.

The example you suggest would move the crime from a Minnesota misdemeanor to a Federal felony.

IF true than the busts would be deserved but I'd like to see the ads or whatever drew them in. Even BP requires ages to be posted. Agreed that BP doesn't check ages, but how would a provider think that the providers were minors if the age shows otherwise?

...under age solicitation of a minor. That still doesn't equate to sex trafficking, tho since the 'girl' never existed to begin with. It's still a standard LE sting, no trafficking involved.

See my post above.

...however. I think you'd have a better chance of just showing up at her place with 200 or 300 real roses in assorted colors. That should outsmart them.

Although, a criminal conviction does rest on the production of specific pieces of evidence of a transaction or an agreement to a transaction. There definitely are ways around that, not that I'm going to flaunt them here.

If you are arrested for the crime of seeing a prostitute.  The only chance you have is that LE made mistakes in the process of gathering evidence and/or getting you to link sex act with compensation.  If you think you are going to finagle a end run around the officers, remember that they have busted dozens of Johns.  It is your first trip to that rodeo.

Name one John who has beat the rap on a prostitution bust.

Thank you for that post and hitting the nail on the head at where the damage really gets done - which is getting your name in the paper.  The accusation alone is what is most damaging.

Book TV talk shows??   Sheesh, what a fucktard.   You posted that you have not even participated in this hobby, yet you want to give us advice?????  When the average guy (or gal) is busted it creates  havoc in their lives.  Many of the players here are married.  Being arrested means big trouble in the marriage and many lose jobs.  I'm assisting 2 men right now who had their arrests publicized and are now in divorce proceedings and one has lost his job and car.