prostitution

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Prostitution involves engaging, agreeing, or offering to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee. It is a crime throughout the United States except in few rural counties in the State of Nevada.

A New York court, for instance, noted that sexual conduct as it relates to prostitution may include sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, and masturbation or certain acts that are suggestive of conduct done to satisfy a sexual desire in People v. Hinzmann. Likewise, a California court noted that sexual conduct may include lewd acts where the genitals, buttocks, or female breasts of either the prostitute or the customer come in contact with some part of the body for sexual arousal or gratification of the customer or of the prostitute in California v. Campbell.

[Last updated in July of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]