Maine statute
17-A M.R.S. § 851 — Definitions
Current through First Special Session of the 132nd Maine Legislature (current through October 1, 2025)
Part of Chapter 35: Sex Trafficking, Prostitution and Public Indecency, Maine Revised Statutes.
Full text of 17-A M.R.S. § 851
Statutory text current through the First Special Session of the 132nd Maine Legislature (current through October 1, 2025). This publication reproduces the statutory text of the Maine Revised Statutes from the Revisor of Statutes' official published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Maine and has not been certified by the Secretary of State.
As used in this chapter:
1. "Prostitution" means engaging in, or agreeing to engage in, or offering to engage in a sexual act or sexual contact, as those terms are defined in section 251, in return for a pecuniary benefit to be received by the person being prostituted or a 3rd person;
1-A. "Engages a person for prostitution" means providing, offering to provide or agreeing to provide, either to the person who is sought for an act of prostitution or to a 3rd person, pecuniary benefit in return for a sexual act or sexual contact as those terms are defined in section 251;
2. "Promotes prostitution" means:
A. Causing or aiding another to commit or engage in prostitution, other than as a patron;
B. Publicly soliciting patrons for prostitution. Publicly soliciting patrons for prostitution includes, but is not limited to, an offer, made in a public place, to engage in a sexual act or sexual contact, as those terms are defined in section 251, in return for a pecuniary benefit to be received by the person making the offer or a 3rd person;
C. Providing persons for purposes of prostitution;
D. Leasing or otherwise permitting a place controlled by the defendant, alone or in association with others, to be regularly used for prostitution;
E. Owning, controlling, managing, supervising or otherwise operating, in association with others, a house of prostitution or a prostitution business;
F. Transporting a person into or within the State with the intent that such other person engage in prostitution; or
G. Accepting or receiving, or agreeing to accept or receive, a pecuniary benefit pursuant to an agreement or understanding with any person, other than with a patron, whereby the person participates or the person is to participate in the proceeds of prostitution.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.