West Virginia Prostitution and Solicitation Laws

Prostitution and solicitation:

• Engaging in prostitution
• Soliciting, inducing, or enticing another person to commit prostitution
• Residing, entering, or remaining in a place of prostitution for prostitution purposes
• Otherwise aiding or participating in any of the above acts

Maintaining a place of prostitution:

• Keeping, establishing, maintaining, or operating a place of prostitution
• Knowingly allowing or renting a place, premises or conveyance (such as a car) for prostitution purposes
• Soliciting or receiving a patron for a place of prostitution or allowing a person to stay for such purposes
• Directing, taking, or transporting a person to a place of prostitution or assisting with the directing, taking, or transportation.

Detaining a person in a place of prostitution:

Directly or indirectly keeping, holding, detaining, or restraining a person in a place of prostitution or attempting to do any of the above acts in an effort to force the person to remain a prostitute and pay off so-called debts.

Pandering:

• Recruiting or securing a spot for a prostitute in a place of prostitution
• Causing a person to become an inmate of a place of prostitution through promises, threats, violence, or any other means
• Causing a person to come into or leave the state for prostitution purposes
• Receiving money for doing or attempting any of the above

Pimping:

Knowingly receiving support from prostitution proceeds.

Prostitution is punishable by up to 6 months in prison and up to $100 in fines. A second offense is punishable by up to 1 year in prison and up to $250 in fines. Any third or subsequent offenses by a pimp, solicitor, operator or person otherwise benefiting financially from prostitution are punishable by up to 3 years in prison.

Maintaining a place of prostitution is punishable by up to 1 year in prison and up to $250 in fines. A subsequent offense is punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Pandering or detaining a person in a place of prostitution is punishable by up to 1 year in prison and up to $500 in fines. A subsequent offense is punishable by up to 3 years in prison. If the person recruited or detained was a minor, it is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.

Pimping is punishable by up to 1 year in prison and up to $500 in fines. For subsequent offenses, the crime is punishable by up to 3 years in prison. If the prostitute was a minor, the crime is a felony punishable by at least 2 years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.