Can cops arrest you if you reply to fake backpage ad?
- Thread starter trillgod
- Start date
It's not paranoia. The OP is simply asking a question because he's not sure or ignorant of the laws.
The discussion however raised some ancillary questions that I haven't seen a definitive answer on, but I digressed.
But you're right.
Simply sending a text from your phone without proof that you yourself sent it, even if the text appears to break the law, doesn't mean you were the author of that message.
They would have to see you follow through and physically catch you in the act, but if you password protect your phone (doesn't everyone have a time out that locks their phone anyway for simple privacy reasons?), then they need a warrant because they can't force you to divulge your password.
In all of Canada has there been even one report (in the media, online forums, PMs) of any undercover cop posing as a street sex worker in the past few years?
"That same year, the Vancouver Police Department adopted its “Sex Work Enforcement Guidelines.” Since then, not a single person has been arrested for buying sexual services, not even after the new prostitution laws were enacted in 2014."
http://vancouversun.com/opinion/col...-to-declare-its-stance-on-legalizing-sex-work
I think in Nova Scotia or N.B., but these were after complaints as the soliciting was quite public and a disturbance (particularly in a smaller town).
If music-lovers hassled ordinary people to name their price and sing for them, the way many dumbjohns cruising for sex will proposition ordinary women, then you'd find those busking patrols operating like the undercover cops posing as sex-workers.
And buskers don't attract streetfuls of cruising cars gridlocking traffic and annoying the residents.
A Toronto lawyer re the crime of communicating "for the purpose of prostitution":
http://www.accused.ca/prostitution.htm
http://www.accused.ca/prostitution.htm
Short answer: Cops can,and will often, arrest people on trumped up or false charges all the time. They can charge you any time with the most asinine archaic laws you didn't even know are on the books.
Will they convict you? That's a different story but trust me, 90% of the time it's eh charge they care about. You are already ruined once a charge comes on.
Are there any reports in major centres like Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver? Or is it just very occasional occurrences since 2014 in "fundamentalist" small "hick" towns like Medicine Hat (as in your article) where LE have too much time on their hands?
Your article stated LE's goal was to save the sex worker, but didn't explain anything they did to aid her or how arresting a single "john" would be of any help to her.
As is common with news stories of this type, we were not told the real stories behind the story.
Already ruined? Why? Maybe my night is ruined. If i'm careless enough to get arrested.
Here is another prostitution sweep that happened in New Brunswick just in the last few weeks.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sex-sting-moncton-rcmp-1.3829318
That having been said I think most major cities tend to focus their limited resources on child sex exploitation and human trafficking. The only time they will go after more mainstream forms of prostitution is if there are enough complaints from the surrounding neighbourhood. For example this message parlour was raided in Toronto in 2012 because it was set up on the ground floor of a residential apartment building and the residents hounded the city to close it down.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/massage-parlour-busted-in-residential-building-1.1240820
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/sex-sting-moncton-rcmp-1.3829318
That having been said I think most major cities tend to focus their limited resources on child sex exploitation and human trafficking. The only time they will go after more mainstream forms of prostitution is if there are enough complaints from the surrounding neighbourhood. For example this message parlour was raided in Toronto in 2012 because it was set up on the ground floor of a residential apartment building and the residents hounded the city to close it down.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/massage-parlour-busted-in-residential-building-1.1240820
Here in the states, Backpage police stings do it all the time. They use a fake ad, with a very young looking person, or a image of a person too good to be true. This is all done under the guise of human trafficking. I have also been told that this is done especially during the end or beginning of the month as LE is trying to improve their arrest numbers.
I don't use Backpage, but because of the stings here, I don't hobby in the states. I export my activities to Canada...
Reminds me of all the 'laws' that we see when we visit the expo. I.e greek being illegal in some US states still. You must have a curtain to have sex in your car on your lunch break in blank town. I love living in prehistoric times LOL
Other things that "can happen to any terb member here":
1. Struck by lightning
2. Fatal car accident
3. Heart attack
4. Win million $ lotto
I think he meant that in a similar situation as that guy in Medicine Hat, Alberta, you're low-hanging fruit with a higher chance of getting caught.
However, like you implied, hobbying in Medicine hat is unusual and unlikely for most of us here.
Ok lol. But I wouldn't take my chance with an unknown BP gal in small town Hicksville. Now if I traveled out west and saw that Angel Monroe was touring there, different story.
In 2 years since Bill C-36 became law how many Alberta arrests have there been in all the many towns and cities of the province, excluding street, underage, pimp & trafficking charges? Just one? How many "dates" have guys been on with SP's? Millions? So even if you are a clueless, uninformed, idiot TERBite, what are your chances of getting arrested in Alberta? One in a million?
Even then it's not the end of the world. I'd much rather be arrested than hit by a bolt from the sky.
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As people have been saying, small conservative towns are a different kettle of fish then large urban centres. In a place like Medicine Hat or Moncton you are dealing with a small town with little crime, as such the police have the time to follow up on things like back page adds. Also there are probably only one or two girls advertising services in a place like that so it isn't hard for the COPS to watch their places of business. As well the mood of these towns is more conservative, so the population will support the police spending time on this and the staff at the local hotel are more likely to inform the police if they see any suspicious activity.
In a major centre like Toronto the police are stretched thin dealing with serious violent crime and don't have time to cruise back page. As well there are thousands of sex workers in Toronto so it is impossible for the police to reliably track them. Also Toronto is a more liberal place and people are less likely to support the police spending time on routine prostitution and hotel staff are more likely to look the other way, especially if you know which hotels to use. Given the mood of the city and their limited resources, the police are more likely to focus their energy on the worst offenders which include human traffickers and people seeking underage girls as well as activities that irritate local residents.
That all having been said, this hobby is illegal and any time you break the law there is always at least a small chance you could get caught out. If getting caught would be life destroying for you then maybe it is better not to break the law, even if the chances of getting caught are relatively low. Each individual will have to do their own risk vs reward analysis on that one.
In a major centre like Toronto the police are stretched thin dealing with serious violent crime and don't have time to cruise back page. As well there are thousands of sex workers in Toronto so it is impossible for the police to reliably track them. Also Toronto is a more liberal place and people are less likely to support the police spending time on routine prostitution and hotel staff are more likely to look the other way, especially if you know which hotels to use. Given the mood of the city and their limited resources, the police are more likely to focus their energy on the worst offenders which include human traffickers and people seeking underage girls as well as activities that irritate local residents.
That all having been said, this hobby is illegal and any time you break the law there is always at least a small chance you could get caught out. If getting caught would be life destroying for you then maybe it is better not to break the law, even if the chances of getting caught are relatively low. Each individual will have to do their own risk vs reward analysis on that one.
I got phone call today saying it was constable so and so and the reason for the call is that on April 24th you made an attempt to purchase sex. Based on text messages I can't remember what I ate yesterday for dinner and can't believe what I heard. I was basically given a warning and told that I can be charged in the future as my number is now in the data base. I just wonder what I texted that was enough for the text to be illegal. Anyone? I obviously never proceeded cause I'd of been toast thankfully.
Are you fucking serious?!?
Do you solicit by text BP ads of unknown SPs? Never, never be explicit!
If I got a text like that, I would've thought it was highly suspicious and demand particulars or proof.
