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Sexual Assault Suits Against Watson

wildroot said:
So, I haven't really kept up with what the particulars are in the Watson case, I've heard there's 22 or so women that are upset with him and his behavior during massages to the point they want to sue him or file charges against him. That's about all I know, , I guess I'm just hoping we can get good value for him in a trade. He can take his perv-ass to some other town.

I don't want to start off a **** storm here, but as I think about it, from what I know, and I admit that it's limited, what exactly did he do that was ILLEGAL? I know it was creepy, in bad taste...but is it illegal if someone getting a massage asks the girl if she feels like rolling him over and giving him a happy ending, is that illegal? It's creepy, but illegal? If he asked them to touch him in "areas", that's illegal? I'm just asking. Most women I'm sure have heard much worse than that in nightclubs, much worse! Probably at work too. Lots of men get fired for sexual harassment in the workplace, some women too. But these people don't usually get sued, right? Or locked up?
I'd imagine some of the women would have been been at the very least offended and have slapped him up side the head or chased him outta their shop, maybe with a 2×4...

So maybe just not keeping up on this I probably missed a whole list of other stuff he's accused of. And It's been awhile since I lived in Houston so I don't hear updates every night on the lical news.

I wouldn't want my daughter or wife in the same Zip code as him. And I'm guessing some of these women have boy friends and husbands that would like some alone time with him too, but other than him being a really F#$%ing CREEP, what he did was illegal?
And I'm by no means defending him,
but just asking anyone that could educate me.
Thx!
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There are 46 pages of literature here you should read first.
 
thunderkyss said:
Some of them allege he coerced them into sexual activity.

Most are alleging that he acted inappropriately (indecent exposure at least) and touched them with his genetalia (sexual assault)
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Got it!
banned1976 said:
Oil on the anus. In the anus?
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If he asked if they would do that, they could have said no and/or thrown him out, right? Did he force them to do this? Not sure how he could have forced them, they could simply walk out of the room. Is it illegal to ask? Guys are trying to coerce women into sexual activity every Friday and Saturday night in clubs and bars all over Houston. The indecent exposure...don't they have you undress, lay down and put a small towel over your middle? Lots of grey area there. Now if he touching them with his junk, that's going to be a tough one to talk his way out of.
But I can't get past why the women didn't react immediately and at least get a co-worker of Mgr involved. Have him thrown out!
Weren't these places in Medical/Service buildings with other people working in the same areas, front reception area etc...
Or are we talking about those massage places along IH45 on the way out of town (North)
 
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wildroot said:
Got it!
If he asked if they would do that, they could have said no and/or thrown him out, right? Did he force them to do this? Not sure how he could have forced them, they could simply walk out of the room. Is it illegal to ask? Guys are trying to coerce women into sexual activity every Friday and Saturday night in clubs and bars all over Houston.

Weren't these places in Medical/Service bldgs with other people working in the same areas, front reception area etc...
Or are we talking about those massage places along IH45 on the way out of town (North)
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Some were at the massage therapists' homes, some at hotels, none at a medical facility. None at NRG.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
So, you possess a certain set of skills; skills that you’ve obtained over a long period of time and these skills make you a nightmare for accused sexual predators/abusers like Deshaun Watson.

Look, you’ve thrown absolutisms around This case has not been heard at this time and therefore no one knows for certain what the outcome will be.

None of us are blaming the women, but to stand on the sideline and say that every women’s statements are absolutely true with no investigation needed is reckless at minimum.

You have exclusively presented Buzbee’s and your own opinion regarding Watson’s guilt. I and some others have only presented alternate views….you know, just like they would do in a court of law. This is in no way….us saying we think Watson is innocent. Everyone of us have stated that if Watson is found guilty, they should throw the book at him. Some of us have he stated that if he’s found guilty, the punishment of him swinging from the gallows may not happen. He could even wind up with fines and probation at the bitter end.
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Which is more likely? All 24 of these women and 10 criminal case women are lying or Derrick. Particularly when this started Derrick said he didn't have sex with any massage therapists, then later recounted and said he had consensual sex with some of these women. (A lie)

Sad part is the last sentence will probably be what ends up happening. When if you or I were in this situation we would have the book thrown at us. But if it's found that minors were involved then all bets are off and I bet Derrick does quite a bit of time. BTW, why haven't we heard from Deeann since all of this came out. Before this came out we used to hear from her semi regularly. I wonder what her thoughts are on Jilly.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Some were at the massage therapists' homes, some at hotels, none at a medical facility. None at NRG.
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My wife just in the last two weeks finished her Massage Therapy school, all she lacks now is to take her State License test. But I asked her about the Watson thing when she was in school and she said they spent the better part of a week talking about, not Watson specifically but this kind of stuff happening in the industry and how to handle it. I got the impression from her that they take it as a serious breach of their industry and really nip it in the bud so to speak.
She said this is now and always has been a part of the curriculum (it's about a year long class/training) on handling/reacting to these circumstances (for lack of a better word) and it's taken very seriously and you know what to do when you finish your training. I guess that why I'm kind of scratching my head about this, not that Watson was behaving inappropriately, but that these girls did not know how to better handle the situaltion. Doing the massages at your house, make sure there's someone else there! Don't do them in a hotel, protect yourself.
 
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steelbtexan said:
Which is more likely? All 24 of these women and 10 criminal case women are lying or Derrick. Particularly when this started Derrick said he didn't have sex with any massage therapists, then later recounted and said he had consensual sex with some of these women. (A lie)
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Well, if it wasn't consensual then it was rape, and if he raped these women he's not going to jail, he's going to prison.
 
wildroot said:
My wife just in the last two weeks finished her Massage Therapy school, all she lacks now is to take her State License test. But I asked her about the Watson thing when she was in school and she said they spent the better part of a week talking about, not Watson specifically but this kind of stuff happening in the industry and how to handle it. I got the impression from her that they take it as a serious breach of their industry and really nip it in the bud so to speak.
She said this is now and always has been a part of the curriculum (it's about a year long class/training) on handling/reacting to these circumstances (for lack of a better word) and it's taken very seriously and you know what to do when you finish your training. I guess that why I'm kind of scratching my head about this, not that Watson was behaving inappropriately, but that these girls did not know how to better handle the situaltion. Doing the massages at your house, make sure there's someone else there! Don't do them in a hotel, protect yourself.
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Remember a lot of this was during the start of Covid where places were shut down
 
wildroot said:
My wife just in the last two weeks finished her Massage Therapy school, all she lacks now is to take her State License test. But I asked her about the Watson thing when she was in school and she said they spent the better part of a week talking about, not Watson specifically but this kind of stuff happening in the industry and how to handle it. I got the impression from her that they take it as a serious breach of their industry and really nip it in the bud so to speak.
She said this is now and always has been a part of the curriculum (it's about a year long class/training) on handling/reacting to these circumstances (for lack of a better word) and it's taken very seriously and you know what to do when you finish your training. I guess that why I'm kind of scratching my head about this, not that Watson was behaving inappropriately, but that these girls did not know how to better handle the situaltion. Doing the massages at your house, make sure there's someone else there! Don't do them in a hotel, protect yourself.
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djohn2oo8 said:
Remember a lot of this was during the start of Covid where places were shut down
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Wildroot, several of my patients have been licensed massage therapists, and we've had opportunity to speak about the Watson situation. You are correct. They are exposed to a couple of courses regarding these scenarios. They have all told me that it has been very rare that they have encountered this type of behavior. They explained to me that much like armed services bootcamp......you are trained how to react in case of future actual armed conflict..........you get it down pat...........but you never know how you will ultimately respond when the bullets are flying...........and it may not always be the way you are trained.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Wildroot, several of my patients have been licensed massage therapists, and we've had opportunity to speak about the Watson situation. You are correct. They are exposed to a couple of courses regarding these scenarios. They have all told me that it has been very rare that they have encountered this type of behavior. They explained to me that much like armed services bootcamp......you are trained how to react in case of future actual armed conflict..........you get it down pat...........but you never know how you will ultimately respond when the bullets are flying...........and it may not always be the way you are trained.
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I get it...
 
wildroot said:
My wife just in the last two weeks finished her Massage Therapy school, all she lacks now is to take her State License test. But I asked her about the Watson thing when she was in school and she said they spent the better part of a week talking about, not Watson specifically but this kind of stuff happening in the industry and how to handle it. I got the impression from her that they take it as a serious breach of their industry and really nip it in the bud so to speak.
She said this is now and always has been a part of the curriculum (it's about a year long class/training) on handling/reacting to these circumstances (for lack of a better word) and it's taken very seriously and you know what to do when you finish your training. I guess that why I'm kind of scratching my head about this, not that Watson was behaving inappropriately, but that these girls did not know how to better handle the situaltion. Doing the massages at your house, make sure there's someone else there! Don't do them in a hotel, protect yourself.
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This is why I think the allegations are false. If you read the complaints filed a lot of the masseuses let things go too far. Some even massaged him multiple times even though he was allegedly inappropriate with them on the first massage. And more than a year later, I wonder why they haven't filed charges yet? The grand jury investigation was supposed to wrap up in January. What happened with that? It just doesn't add up.
 
wildroot said:
So, I haven't really kept up with what the particulars are in the Watson case, I've heard there's 22 or so women that are upset with him and his behavior during massages to the point they want to sue him or file charges against him. That's about all I know, , I guess I'm just hoping we can get good value for him in a trade. He can take his perv-ass to some other town.

I don't want to start off a **** storm here, but as I think about it, from what I know, and I admit that it's limited, what exactly did he do that was ILLEGAL? I know it was creepy, in bad taste...but is it illegal if someone getting a massage asks the girl if she feels like rolling him over and giving him a happy ending, is that illegal? It's creepy, but illegal? If he asked them to touch him in "areas", that's illegal? I'm just asking. Most women I'm sure have heard much worse than that in nightclubs, much worse! Probably at work too. Lots of men get fired for sexual harassment in the workplace, some women too. But these people don't usually get sued, right? Or locked up?
I'd imagine some of the women would have been been at the very least offended and have slapped him up side the head or chased him outta their shop, maybe with a 2×4...

So maybe just not keeping up on this I probably missed a whole list of other stuff he's accused of. And It's been awhile since I lived in Houston so I don't hear updates every night on the lical news.

I wouldn't want my daughter or wife in the same Zip code as him. And I'm guessing some of these women have boy friends and husbands that would like some alone time with him too, but other than him being a really F#$%ing CREEP, what he did was illegal?
And I'm by no means defending him,
but just asking anyone that could educate me.
Thx!
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Posted for reference.
 
A time to chill said:
This is why I think the allegations are false. If you read the complaints filed a lot of the masseuses let things go too far. Some even massaged him multiple times even though he was allegedly inappropriate with them on the first massage. And more than a year later, I wonder why they haven't filed charges yet? The grand jury investigation was supposed to wrap up in January. What happened with that? It just doesn't add up.
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So it’s on the woman to stop a man even if he is using physical force ........
 
A time to chill said:
This is why I think the allegations are false. If you read the complaints filed a lot of the masseuses let things go too far. Some even massaged him multiple times even though he was allegedly inappropriate with them on the first massage. And more than a year later, I wonder why they haven't filed charges yet? The grand jury investigation was supposed to wrap up in January. What happened with that? It just doesn't add up.
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It adds up quite well, especially with the newly amended complaint.https://www.texanstalk.com/threads/sexual-assault-suits-against-watson.115909/page-175#post-3235839
 
A time to chill said:
This is why I think the allegations are false. If you read the complaints filed a lot of the masseuses let things go too far. Some even massaged him multiple times even though he was allegedly inappropriate with them on the first massage. And more than a year later, I wonder why they haven't filed charges yet? The grand jury investigation was supposed to wrap up in January. What happened with that? It just doesn't add up.
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Yeah, so just what I've gleaned in the last hour or so, I think I'm split down the middle. Watson acted very inappropriately, no excuses, very creepy. But the girls had a... responsibility?....to just not roll over and allow this to happen. At the very least they walk out. A female at night giving a massage to a man, nude other than a towel covering his middle, alone in a hotel room or at his or her house is a recipe for disaster. The girls share some of the, I don't know if blame is the right word, but they could have left the instant it got creepy and ended it. Does not excuse Watson's behavior! And if he raped any of them he's toast, and deservedly so.
 
djohn2oo8 said:
So it’s on the woman to stop a man even if he is using physical force ........
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I appreciate you moving your response to the correct thread, but please let's not get into this again.

A time to chill said:
This is why I think the allegations are false. If you read the complaints filed a lot of the masseuses let things go too far. Some even massaged him multiple times even though he was allegedly inappropriate with them on the first massage. And more than a year later, I wonder why they haven't filed charges yet? The grand jury investigation was supposed to wrap up in January. What happened with that? It just doesn't add up.
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All this has been addressed several times. Go back to page 30 or something, we're way past this now.
 
I'm a licensed massage therapist of 20 years and I've taught massage therapy in a school setting. I find what has happened disgusting and part of the reason I no longer follow the Texans very closely.

As for how these women handled a celebrity asking them for sex or forcing sex on them, it's easy to say you'll walk out of the room and tell them to leave when you've had the training. But when you're just starting out, not professionally trained, and worried about making enough money to pay your rent, you might let one comment or slip of the towel go. The power differential in this situation is heavy.

Here you have a guy offering a lot of money to perform a massage service. The $$$ puts the power solely in Watson's favor. Suddenly he does or says something sexual and poof, the money is at risk. Desperate times leads to desperate decisions. Part of the problem that folks aren't realizing, a lot of the women that he chose were not Licensed, Registered, or had been to school for training. He found them on IG or what have you. He was looking for a 'certain' type. Hell, one woman he flew in from Atlanta and she was saving up money to go to massage school. That's sex trafficking by definition.

I'm not sure what the licensing rules are in every state, but here in Oregon it is illegal to practice massage without a license. Now does that stop the "rub down shops"? Nope. People still frequent those establishments because they are there. Federally it is against the law to pay for or take money for sex... aka prostitution.

In the situation with Mr. Watson, I hope that the truth comes out. No one should be subjected to this kind of thing against their will. If he explained what he wanted prior to the session and they went for it, that's on them. But if this is something that he coerced or forced them into, that's on him.
 
djohn2oo8 said:
So it’s on the woman to stop a man even if he is using physical force ........
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In didn't say that. If a man is making you feel uncomfortable either by his action or verbally, you have a duty to yourself to at the very least walk away. Leave. Call the police if you feel threatened.
Unless you want to stay and be spoken to in that manner. And I did say if he was raping these women he belongs in PRISON!

What were you reading?
 
wildroot said:
In didn't say that. If a man is making you feel uncomfortable either by his action or verbally, you have a duty to yourself to at the very least walk away. Leave. Call the police if you feel threatened.
Unless you want to stay and be spoken to in that manner. And I did say if he was raping these women he belongs in PRISON!

What were you reading?
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What if you can’t leave or walk away? What if you are threatened if you call the police?
 
Wolfiegrrl said:
I'm a licensed massage therapist of 20 years and I've taught massage therapy in a school setting. I find what has happened disgusting and part of the reason I no longer follow the Texans very closely.

As for how these women handled a celebrity asking them for sex or forcing sex on them, it's easy to say you'll walk out of the room and tell them to leave when you've had the training. But when you're just starting out, not professionally trained, and worried about making enough money to pay your rent, you might let one comment or slip of the towel go. The power differential in this situation is heavy.

Here you have a guy offering a lot of money to perform a massage service. The $$$ puts the power solely in Watson's favor. Suddenly he does or says something sexual and poof, the money is at risk. Desperate times leads to desperate decisions. Part of the problem that folks aren't realizing, a lot of the women that he chose were not Licensed, Registered, or had been to school for training. He found them on IG or what have you. He was looking for a 'certain' type. Hell, one woman he flew in from Atlanta and she was saving up money to go to massage school. That's sex trafficking by definition.

I'm not sure what the licensing rules are in every state, but here in Oregon it is illegal to practice massage without a license. Now does that stop the "rub down shops"? Nope. People still frequent those establishments because they are there. Federally it is against the law to pay for or take money for sex... aka prostitution.

In the situation with Mr. Watson, I hope that the truth comes out. No one should be subjected to this kind of thing against their will. If he explained what he wanted prior to the session and they went for it, that's on them. But if this is something that he coerced or forced them into, that's on him.
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I was 100% with you until the last sentence.
If you feel like you're being coerced, walk away. Say: I'm leaving now, and walk out. If you're being FORCED to do something....I'm not sure what that means here. If he's physically forcing someone...physically forcing to have sex (rape) he should go to prison. If forcing is under the context of the woman saying to herself that if she doesn't appease him then she won't get a big payday, I mean she's making the call to stay, if that's the call she's making. But if he's not physically forcing her or threatning her where she feels in danger, then she walks out the door. That's a choice she makes.
"Nah...I want to stay and make some big money, hell yeah!" That's on her.
Either way, he's a POS. And I hope I'm not coming accross like I'm defending him. I'm just nicely trying to say that... maybe the woman could have walked away? Should she have to do that? No. Should she be put in a position where she has to do that? No. But if you find yourself with a shady character, leave.
 
djohn2oo8 said:
So it’s on the woman to stop a man even if he is using physical force ........
Click to expand...

At no point in the amended complaint did she mention the use of “physical force”. It appears this has been added as a personal view.

I’m still trying to visualize how the towel was over the Johnson….she massaged his leg and he made a sudden move that froze her and his Johnson abandoned the towel and touched her hand while she had no time to react. She then left the room and returned to the room to find Watson now completely nude on her table and adjusting his Johnson rather vigorously while propositioning her for additional services. Her statement is a bit suspicious, but does deserve to be investigated. Remember, there’s no physical evidence of the events described in her statement.

The other thing I find interesting that was mentioned in one of the post above……why is Buzbee so eager to get information to the media? If his case was 100%, I’d shut the duck up and play poker face with Hardin. Instead, his constant scrambling to put everything out to the media before a trial has even began…..leads me to believe he’s becoming desperate and wants Hardin and Watson to think he’s completely in the drivers seat. Some of Buzbee’s clients may also be leaning on the side of impatience…..who knows, maybe Buzbee promised some of them that there would be no time in court and Watson could be forced to settle for a lot more money. Buzbee is probably in line to collect 33 - 40% of what Watson pays out b/c he’s not doing this out of the kindness of his heart.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
In her revised statement…she did exit the room and then returned. At no point did she mention Watson yelling in forceful manner, get your arse back in here or else!
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She went to the restroom and he asked to pay her money for sexual services then told her to leave. After forcing his penis to touch her hand.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
At no point in the amended complaint did she mention the use of “physical force”. It appears this has been added as a personal view.

I’m still trying to visualize how the towel was over the Johnson….she massaged his leg and he made a sudden move that froze her and his Johnson abandoned the towel and touched her hand while she had no time to react. She then left the room and returned to the room to find Watson now completely nude on her table and adjusting his Johnson rather vigorously while propositioning her for additional services. Her statement is a bit suspicious, but does deserve to be investigated. Remember, there’s no physical evidence of the events described in her statement.

The other thing I find interesting that was mentioned in one of the post above……why is Buzbee so eager to get information to the media? If his case was 100%, I’d shut the duck up and play poker face with Hardin. Instead, his constant scrambling to put everything out to the media before a trial has even began…..leads me to believe he’s becoming desperate and wants Hardin and Watson to think he’s completely in the drivers seat. Some of Buzbee’s clients may also be leaning on the side of impatience…..who knows, maybe Buzbee promised some of them that there would be no time in court and Watson could be forced to settle for a lot more money. Buzbee is probably in line to collect 33 - 40% of what Watson pays out b/c he’s not doing this out of the kindness of his heart.
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You don’t get it and it’s fine. Physical force. Coercion. Threats. Oh those do exist within the 22 cases.
 
wildroot said:
I was 100% with you until the last sentence.
If you feel like you're being coerced, walk away. Say: I'm leaving now, and walk out. If you're being FORCED to do something....I'm not sure what that means here. If he's physically forcing someone...physically forcing to have sex (rape) he should go to prison. If forcing is under the context of the woman saying to herself that if she doesn't appease him then she won't get a big payday, I mean she's making the call to stay, if that's the call she's making. But if he's not physically forcing her or threatning her where she feels in danger, then she walks out the door. That's a choice she makes.
"Nah...I want to stay and make some big money, hell yeah!" That's on her.
Either way, he's a POS. And I hope I'm not coming accross like I'm defending him. I'm just nicely trying to say that... maybe the woman could have walked away? Should she have to do that? No. Should she be put in a position where she has to do that? No. But if you find yourself with a shady character, leave.
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Sometimes that’s easier said that done. Can’t really speak on it if you never been in that situation. Or it’s really easy for us to say just walk away.
 
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wildroot said:
I was 100% with you until the last sentence.
If you feel like you're being coerced, walk away. Say: I'm leaving now, and walk out. If you're being FORCED to do something....I'm not sure what that means here. If he's physically forcing someone...physically forcing to have sex (rape) he should go to prison. If forcing is under the context of the woman saying to herself that if she doesn't appease him then she won't get a big payday, I mean she's making the call to stay, if that's the call she's making. But if he's not physically forcing her or threatning her where she feels in danger, then she walks out the door. That's a choice she makes.
"Nah...I want to stay and make some big money, hell yeah!" That's on her.
Either way, he's a POS. And I hope I'm not coming accross like I'm defending him. I'm just nicely trying to say that... maybe the woman could have walked away? Should she have to do that? No. Should she be put in a position where she has to do that? No. But if you find yourself with a shady character, leave.
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Do you know the point of coercion? To make someone feel like they have no choice........
 
Texian said:
I don't know how it works but I do know that a majority of court cases are settled out of court, many about an hour before the trial starts. (Lawyers milking it). I'm GUESSING we will see something similar here. The City of Houston has nothing to gain by dragging this out. GUESSING again here, the judge will encourage parties to settle this before the case goes to trial. That's my story and I'm sticking to it (for now). Lawyer games.
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How do you settle the criminal complaints?
 
amazing80 said:
Is offering money for sex a crime? Serious question. I know HAVING sex for money is a crime, but is making the offer a crime?
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Good question. It is a crime in Tx to offer sex. As of Sept 2021, it remains a crime to solicit prostitution even if no money is exchanged (or other form of payment) and/or no sexual conduct transpires. It remains a crime in Texas merely to ask for sex in exchange for any type of payment. Offering to pay for sex is further taken into account based on further circumstances and if it reinforces previous and other actions on the part of the perpertrator.
********************************************************

BUYING SEX IN TEXAS: TEXAS IS FIRST STATE IN USA TO MAKE SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION A FELONY OFFENSE
Posted on July 17, 2021 by Michael Lowe.


The term “john” is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “a man who pays money to a prostitute for sex.” In some parts of the world being a john, i.e., buying sex, is legal – although that has never been the case in Texas. For instance, just a few hours’ drive south on IH-35 from Dallas, and you’ll find that Mexico has a national law recognizing prostitution with thirteen Mexican states regulating sex-for-pay businesses and some Mexican cities allowing for “red-light districts.”
Another example: within a day’s drive from Dallas-Fort Worth area, it is also legal to buy sex right here in the United States: johns can frequent legalized prostitution establishments in a handful of counties within the State of Nevada. While the Coronavirus Pandemic did shut brothel doors during quarantine orders, this spring the prostitution business in Nevada was re-opening and predicted to have a very profitable year. Read, “Brothels near Las Vegas, legal sex workers prepare for reopening amid loosening restrictions,” written by Joe Bartels and published by KTNV on April 17, 2021.

Texas: First State in the Country to Make Buying Sex a Felony Crime


Of course, the attitude towards johns, and the commercial sex industry, is very different in Texas than it is in either Nevada or Mexico. Anyone seeking to buy sex anywhere in the Lone Star State has always risked arrest, because any aspect of prostitution is illegal in Texas.
However, very soon things will become much more serious for johns who are caught by law enforcement because a new law becomes effective that re-defines the act of soliciting prostitution as a serious felony even if it is the customer’s first offense. For more, read “Texas becomes first state to ‘punish sex buyers with felonies’ written by Art Benavidez and published in the Dallas Express on July 7, 2021.
Attorney General Ken Paxton made the following statement regarding the new law:
“Texas is the first in the country to punish sex buyers with felonies, which is a substantial step towards curbing the demand for commercial sex. Human trafficking is modern day slavery – targeting vulnerable men, women and children in our communities. I commend our legislature for passing laws that fight this inexcusable offense.”
New Texas Penal Code §43.021: Full Text
On September 1, 2021, anyone arrested, charged, and convicted of being a john can be sentenced for committing a serious felony pursuant to HB1540. The new law will appear within the Texas Penal Code as Section 43.021, entitled Solicitation of Prostitution, with the law providing as follows (full text)(emphasis added):
Sections 43.02(b) and (c-1), Penal Code, are transferred to Section 43.021, Penal Code, as added by this Act, redesignated as Sections 43.021(a) and (b), Penal Code, respectively, and amended to read as follows:
(a) [(b)] A person commits an offense if the person knowingly offers or agrees to pay a fee to another person for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with that person or another.
(b) [(c-1)] An offense under Subsection (a) [(b)] is a state jail felony [Class A misdemeanor], except that the offense is:
(1) a [state jail] felony of the third degree if the actor has previously been convicted of an offense under Subsection (a) or under Section 43.02(b), as that law existed before September 1, 2021 [(b)]; or
(2) a felony of the second degree if the person with whom the actor agrees to engage in sexual conduct is:
(A) younger than 18 years of age, regardless of whether the actor knows the age of the person at the time of the offense;
(B) represented to the actor as being younger than 18 years of age; or
(C) believed by the actor to be younger than 18 years of age.
Texas Targets the Customer in Efforts to Combat Trafficking and Prostitution
Many voices are commending the State of Texas for passing this landmark legislation. The idea to focus felony punishment on any individual who is purchasing sex is seen by some as a way to combat sex abuse and human trafficking in this country. Explains National Center on Sexual Exploitation CEO Dawn Hawkins:
“Texas’ new law is a prime way to deter people from engaging in the sex trade and will decrease the demand for prostituted persons, ultimately shrinking the exploitation industry. We are grateful to Texas for implementing a strong solution to combat the demand and to hold men accountable.…
“Despite claims that prostitution is a job like any other, the truth is that there is lifelong physical, emotional, and mental trauma, from prostitution. This is why it is imperative to shrink the commercial sex trade, and the most efficient way to do that, which would solve sex trafficking and so many other ills, is to go after the people driving the demand for exploited persons.”
Solicitation of Prostitution Under the Old Texas Law
Johns were vulnerable to arrest in Texas before the passage of this new statute. Buying sex has been illegal here for many years, defined in the criminal code within the definition of prostitution found in Texas Penal Code §43.02(a), (b) which defines the crime of prostitution as either (emphasis added):
(a) the person knowingly offers or agrees to receive a fee from another to engage in sexual conduct; or
(b) the person knowingly offers or agrees to pay a fee to another person for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with that person or another.

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