(a) (1) No person shall solicit another who is 18 years of age or older to engage with the other person in sexual activity for hire.
(2) No person shall solicit another to engage with such other person in sexual activity for hire if the other person is 16 or 17 years of age and the offender knows that the other person is 16 or 17 years of age or is reckless in that regard.
(3) No person shall solicit another to engage with such other person in sexual activity for hire if either of the following applies:
A. The other person is less than 16 years of age, whether or not the offender knows the age of the other person.
B. The other person is a person with a developmental disability and the offender knows or has reasonable cause to believe the other person is a person with a developmental disability.
(b) (1) Whoever violates division (a) of this section is guilty of soliciting. A violation of division (a)(1) of this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree. A violation of division (a)(2) or (a)(3) of this section is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law.
(2) If a person is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of division (a) of this section or an attempt to commit a violation of division (a) of this section and if the person, in committing or attempting to commit the violation, was in, was on, or used a motor vehicle, the court, in addition to or independent of all other penalties imposed for the violation, may impose upon the offender a class six suspension of the person's driver's license, commercial driver's license, temporary instruction permit, probationary license, or nonresident operating privilege from the range specified in Ohio R.C. 4510.02(A)(6). In lieu of imposing upon the offender the class six suspension, the court instead may require the offender to perform community service for a number of hours determined by the court.
(c) As used in division (a) of this section:
(1) “Person with a developmental disability.” Has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 2905.32.
(2) “Sexual activity for hire.” Means an implicit or explicit agreement to provide sexual activity in exchange for anything of value paid to the person engaging in such sexual activity, to any person trafficking that person, or to any person associated with either such person.
(ORC 2907.24; Ord. 74-3. Passed 1-21-74.)
Statutory reference:
Testing offenders for venereal disease and AIDS, see Ohio R.C. 2907.27