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609.324 OTHER PROSTITUTION CRIMES; PATRONS, PROSTITUTES, AND
INDIVIDUALS HOUSING INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN PROSTITUTION;
PENALTIES.
    Subdivision 1. Engaging in, hiring, or agreeing to hire a minor to engage in prostitution;
penalties. (a) Whoever intentionally does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment
for not more than 20 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $40,000, or both:
(1) engages in prostitution with an individual under the age of 13 years; or
(2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual under the age of 13 years to engage in
sexual penetration or sexual contact.
(b) Whoever intentionally does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment for
not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both:
(1) engages in prostitution with an individual under the age of 16 years but at least 13 years; or
(2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual under the age of 16 years but at least 13
years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.
(c) Whoever intentionally does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment for
not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both:
(1) engages in prostitution with an individual under the age of 18 years but at least 16 years; or
(2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual under the age of 18 years but at least 16
years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.
    Subd. 1a. Housing an unrelated minor engaged in prostitution; penalties. Any person,
other than one related by blood, adoption, or marriage to the minor, who permits a minor to reside,
temporarily or permanently, in the person's dwelling without the consent of the minor's parents
or guardian, knowing or having reason to know that the minor is engaging in prostitution may
be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more
than $3,000, or both; except that, this subdivision does not apply to residential placements made,
sanctioned, or supervised by a public or private social service agency.
    Subd. 2. Solicitation or acceptance of solicitation to engage in prostitution; penalty.
Whoever solicits or accepts a solicitation to engage for hire in sexual penetration or sexual contact
while in a public place may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to
payment of a fine of not more than $3,000 or both. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision
4, a person who is convicted of violating this subdivision while acting as a patron must, at a
minimum, be sentenced to pay a fine of at least $1,500.
    Subd. 3. Engaging in, hiring, or agreeing to hire an adult to engage in prostitution;
penalties. Whoever intentionally does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment for
not more than 90 days or to payment of a fine of not more than $1,000, or both:
(1) engages in prostitution with an individual 18 years of age or above; or
(2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual 18 years of age or above to engage in sexual
penetration or sexual contact. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 4, a person who is
convicted of violating clause (1) or (2) while acting as a patron must, at a minimum, be sentenced
to pay a fine of at least $500.
Whoever violates the provisions of this subdivision within two years of a previous conviction
may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more
than $3,000, or both. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 4, a person who is convicted of
a gross misdemeanor violation of this subdivision while acting as a patron, must, at a minimum,
be sentenced as follows:
(1) to pay a fine of at least $1,500; and
(2) to serve 20 hours of community work service.
The court may waive the mandatory community work service if it makes specific, written
findings that the community work service is not feasible or appropriate under the circumstances
of the case.
    Subd. 4. Community service in lieu of minimum fine. The court may order a person
convicted of violating subdivision 2 or 3 to perform community work service in lieu of all or
a portion of the minimum fine required under those subdivisions if the court makes specific,
written findings that the convicted person is indigent or that payment of the fine would create
undue hardship for the convicted person or that person's immediate family. Community work
service ordered under this subdivision is in addition to any mandatory community work service
ordered under subdivision 3.
    Subd. 5. Use of motor vehicle to patronize prostitutes; driving record notation. When a
court sentences a person convicted of violating this section while acting as a patron, the court
shall determine whether the person used a motor vehicle during the commission of the offense.
If the court finds that the person used a motor vehicle during the commission of the offense, it
shall forward its finding to the commissioner of public safety who shall record the finding on the
person's driving record. The finding is classified as private data on individuals, as defined in
section 13.02, subdivision 12.
History: 1979 c 255 s 4; 1984 c 628 art 3 s 11; 1986 c 448 s 5,6; 1990 c 463 s 1-4; 1Sp2003
c 2 art 10 s 5; 2004 c 228 art 1 s 72

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Revisor of Statutes