Cite as: 21 CNCA § 1088

A. No person shall:

1. By promise, threats, violence, or by any device or scheme, including but not limited to the use of any controlled dangerous substance prohibited pursuant to the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, 21 CNCA § 2101 et seq., cause, induce, persuade, or encourage a child under eighteen (18) years of age to engage or continue to engage in prostitution or to become or remain an inmate of a house of prostitution or other place where prostitution is practiced;

2. Keep, hold, detain, restrain, or compel against his or her will, any child under eighteen (18) years of age to engage in the practice of prostitution or in a house of prostitution or other place where prostitution is practiced or allowed;

3. Directly or indirectly keep, hold, detain, restrain, or compel or attempt to keep, hold, detain, restrain, or compel a child under eighteen (18) years of age to engage in the practice of prostitution or in a house of prostitution or any place where prostitution is practiced or allowed for the purpose of compelling such child to directly or indirectly pay, liquidate, or cancel any debt, dues, or obligations incurred, or said to have been incurred by such child.

B. 1. Any person violating the provisions of this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term not to exceed three (3) years or by imposition of a fine in an amount not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment, provided that such sentence must include a term of imprisonment.

2. Any owner, proprietor, keeper, manager, conductor, or other person who knowingly permits a violation of this section in any house, building, room, tent, lot or premises under his control or of which he has possession, upon conviction for the offense, upon conviction for the first offense, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a term not to exceed one (1) year or by imposition of a fine in an amount not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment. Upon conviction for a subsequent offense pursuant to this subsection such person shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term not to exceed three (3) years or by imposition of a fine in an amount not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment. provided that such sentence must include a term of imprisonment.

C. Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to 57 CNCA § 1 et seq. The jury, if any, shall be advised that the mandatory sex offender registration is a civil remedy that shall be in addition to the actual imprisonment.

Historical Data

LA 10–90, eff. November 13, 1990. Amended LA 20–08, eff. January 12, 2009. Amended LA 09–12, eff. May 23, 2012. Amended LA 07-21, eff. February 22, 2021.