Charlotte Minister Nabbed in Prostitution Sting
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 1:23 PM

OK, I am becoming obsessed with enforcement of our laws criminalizing prostitution and associated activities. I do not believe that adult prostitution should be illegal, though some manifestations (such as streetwalking) could be controlled or criminalized. Many countries, including wacky places like Canada, employ these types of more liberal regimes. Criminalization increases the hazards to prostitutes and johns alike, saddles prostitutes with criminal records that make it harder to find other types of employment, and leads to public embarrassment of both prostitutes and johns. For people in many professions such as school teacher or police officer, an arrest for soliciting prostitution can lead to job loss, too.

Minister is another occupation that doesn't mix too well with a prostitution-related arrest. Today a Charlotte, North Carolina minister is in the news for being arrested in a prostitution sting. Here's one report, and a TV news video can be viewed from the linked page. While the reporter notes what a "difficult situation" this is for the arrested minister and his family and flock, the fact that any media attention at all is paid to this arrest suggests that from the point of view of the fourth estate, tis great sport to see the minister hoist so.

Of course, some ministers can bounce back from prostitution scandals.

Labels: policing, Prohibition, prostitution