Promoting Prostitution Becomes ‘Violent’ so Offenders Can Be Put on Registry

Persons who promote prostitution could be defined as “violent” under a proposed law working through the Tennessee General Assembly.

The bill would make “promoting prostitution” – that’s the legal charge for being a pimp or a madam – a “violent offense” if the same person gets caught doing it twice.

That would land them on the widely publicized sex offender registry, according to the bill’s House sponsor, Debra Maggart, a Republican from Hendersonville.

But Joe Towns, a Memphis Democrat, says the bill is “ill-worded” and goes too far in adding “tons” of non-violent offenders to the Registry.

They’re breaking the law – we already have laws against prostitution. But you’re adding all these other people who are going to be on the Registry. To me that’s, Number One, it sends the wrong signal, because it trivializes, to me, what has really happened over here …. A real serious offense.

Despite some members misgiving about whether the offense is really “violent,” the bill passed easily with no votes against.

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Read the bill here.

While the bill has passed the House, it’s not yet scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.