Nashville Police Undercover Stings Aimed at Patronizing Prostitution Arrests
It may surprise many to know that in Davidson County, Nashville, Tennessee, that hundreds of police hours are devoted each month to undercover sting operations aimed at arresting those that may be susceptible to offers of prostitution. Many of those charged with such offenses are arrested after they initiate contact with females through online classified ads such as craigslist.com or backpage.com only to discover that such individual is actually an undercover police officer; however, very many are charged after an undercover police officer initiates contact with individuals stopped at stop signs or various locations along Charlotte Pike, Murfreesboro Road, or Dickerson Pike and other locations throughout Davidson County.
While each case presents its own sets of facts, undercover police officers that focus too much on making arrests walk a tightrope teetering on entrapment. Entrapment is a defense under Tennessee law when a law enforcement official induces or persuades and otherwise unwilling person to commit an unlawful act when the person was not predisposed to do so.
A person charged with such offense would be wise to contact an attorney to help with their defense. Patronizing Prostitution is a class B misdemeanor and carries up to a six month jail sentence and a $500 fine. Such offense within 100 feet of a church or within 1 and 1/2 mile from a school is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by jail up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a $2500 fine.
A person convicted of patronizing prostitution within 1 and 1/2 miles of a school (pubic or private K-12) is required to serve at least 7 days in jail and faces a minimum fine of $1,000.
Should you have any questions about this article, or any other legal matters, please call Vince Wyatt at 615-256-6666.