Shh! Woman Quietly Busted for Prostitution in Public Library

Men visiting the Tewksbury, Massachusetts, Public Library told police that a woman was offering to help them straighten out their Longfellow. Only they weren't talking about the poet.

According to Boston's WBZ-TV, when police sent a plainclothes detective to the library to investigate the reports, 20-year-old Brittany Mcintyre of Nashua, New Hampshire, quietly passed the officer a note offering to exchange a sex act for $60.

What kind of charges will this literary lover be facing for her alleged solicitation in the stacks?

Engaging in Sexual Conduct for a Fee

Each state has its own particular laws regarding prostitution. Under Massachusetts' General Laws, offering sexual conduct for a fee is a misdemeanor offense punishable by jail time, fines, or potentially both.

According to the statute, "Whoever engages, agrees to engage or offers to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee, shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 1 year or by a fine of not more than $500, or by both such imprisonment and fine, whether such sexual conduct occurs or not."

The naughty note passer was charged with violation of this statute and was also booked on an outstanding warrant for drug possession.

Is Prostitution Legal Anywhere?

Although each state sets its own laws, prostitution is illegal in 49 of the 50 states, with Nevada being the only state in which any form of prostitution remains legal.

Under Nevada Revised Statutes, prostitution is still generally illegal. However, the law makes an exception for prostitution in "a licensed house of prostitution." Even then, there are only eight counties in Nevada that currently allow prostitution. Notably, Clark County, the county in which Las Vegas is located, does not allow prostitution.

Along with strict rules regarding STD testing and condom use, Nevada's legal prostitutes are also subject to other specific regulations. In 2010 the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Nevada rule that limits advertisement of for brothels to the county in which prostitution is legal. More recently, social networking site LinkedIn barred Nevada's legal prostitutes from creating profiles for their prostitution services.

But as for Tewksbury, Massachusetts, prostitution remains illegal. Too bad Macintyre didn't take the time to look up the law.

Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Facebook and Twitter (@FindLawConsumer).

Related Resources:

• Massachusetts Woman Arrested on Suspicion of Prostitution in Public Library (UPI)
• Should the U.S. Legalize Prostitution? (FindLaw's Blotter)
• Prostitutes Use Facebook to Drum Up Business (FindLaw's Blotter)
• Tourist Sues Hooker for Leaving ½ Hour Early (FindLaw's Legally Weird)