Section 2907.22 | Promoting prostitution.
(A) No person shall knowingly:
(1) Establish, maintain, operate, manage, supervise, control, or have an interest in a brothel or any other enterprise a purpose of which is to facilitate engagement in sexual activity for hire;
(2) Supervise, manage, or control the activities of a prostitute in engaging in sexual activity for hire;
(3) Transport another, or cause another to be transported, in order to facilitate the other person's engaging in sexual activity for hire;
(4) For the purpose of violating or facilitating a violation of this section, induce or procure another to engage in sexual activity for hire.
(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of promoting prostitution, and the court shall sentence the offender as follows:
(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) or (3) of this section, promoting prostitution is a felony of the fourth degree.
(2) Except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, promoting prostitution is a felony of the third degree if any of the following apply:
(a) A prostitute in the brothel involved in the offense, or the prostitute whose activities are supervised, managed, or controlled by the offender, or the person transported, induced, or procured by the offender to engage in sexual activity for hire, is a minor, whether or not the offender knows the age of the minor.
(b) The offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of this section or a substantially similar violation of a law of another state or the United States.
(c) The offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of section 2925.03 of the Revised Code.
(3) If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more violations of this section or two or more substantially similar violations of a law of another state or the United States, promoting prostitution is a felony of the second degree.
(4) If the offender in any case also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a specification as described in section 2941.1422 of the Revised Code that was included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging the offense, the court shall sentence the offender to a mandatory prison term as provided in division (B)(7) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code and shall order the offender to make restitution as provided in division (B)(8) of section 2929.18 of the Revised Code.
(5) If the offender in any case also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a firearm specification of the type described in section 2941.141, 2941.144, or 2941.145 of the Revised Code that was included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging the offense, the court shall sentence the offender to a mandatory prison term as provided in division (B)(1)(a) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code.
Available Versions of this Section
- June 20, 2014 – House Bill 130 - 130th General Assembly [ View June 20, 2014 Version ]
- March 12, 2020 – Amended by Senate Bill 5 - 133rd General Assembly [ View March 12, 2020 Version ]