Is It Illegal To Pay For Companionship?

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When it comes right down to it, we’re all animals. We are social animals and we need to find a companion from time to time.

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Is It Illegal To Pay For Companionship?

However, for some of us it’s not that easy – and we may decide to pay for companionship to make us happy for a while. 

The problem is, you may have heard that it is illegal to pay for companionship and you’re wondering where you stand, legally speaking. 

Well, the answer is – it depends on what sort of companionship you’re paying for. For example, using escort or sugar daddy services is not illegal – but a prostitute is generally illegal to pay. 

To clear up some of this confusion, we’ll look at what you need to know with our helpful guide below. 

Read on and learn more. 

What Are The Different Types Of Companionship You Can Pay For?

As we mentioned, the legality of paying for companionship will depend on what type of companionship you’re paying for.

We’ll examine all these different kinds below and tell you if they are legal or not. 

Prostitute 

Prostitution is generally illegal in most states and further afield.

Using a prostitute usually involves either “curb crawling”, where you drive your car to areas that prostitutes frequent and pick them up for sexual services, or using a brothel.

Brothels are often also referred to as “whore houses” and they are buildings designed for the sheer purpose of sexual favors for money. 

Escort 

Escorting is not illegal, so long as you are not hiring an escort solely for the purposes of sex.

Many escorts will preface their services by stating that after their time has been paid for, anything that goes on is between two consenting adults. 

Escorting can be anything, such as a dinner date or a wedding plus one – but escorting and prostitution have been conflated over the years due to the fact that many escorts will also provide sexual services, regardless of whether they advertise them or not. 

Sugar Dating 

There’s no law that makes sugar dating illegal. Generally, sugar dating is when an arrangement for a relationship is instigated between two consenting adults. 

The sugar daddy will often financially support his sugar baby and in return, the couple may become romantically involved. As a result, sex might occur but the arrangement is not set up specifically for this. 

Therefore, this type of companionship is also entirely legal. Some people often refer to it as a “subscription” companionship. 

Only Fans, Webcamming And Related Services

There are many services you can find online that allow a person to pay for online only companionship. Whilst some of these services might allow for sexual things to happen, they are not the same as prostitution. 

While this is still debated, there is nothing in law to prevent this type of companionship in return for money. 

Is It Illegal To Pay For Companionship?

Could I Be Arrested For Paying For Companionship?

It’s important to note that there are different laws, rules and regulations in each country, state and even county! However, the important things to note are the following. 

If you have been arrested for paying for companionship, generally speaking law enforcement must have evidence that you paid specifically for sexual services only.

In other words, and as seen above – there are times when paying for companionship is entirely legal.

If you are truly using a sugar dating service for how they are intended, then legally speaking you should be covered. However, it is possible that law enforcement may require some sort of evidence for your relationship or arrangement. 

The same applies for escort services. If you are using escort services for non-sexual companionship only, then you should not be in trouble with the law. 

Additionally, as we said before – escorts often preface their services by stating two consenting adults after the arrangement begins can do whatever they like. 

The real problem legally you will find is using a prostitute, otherwise known as a hooker.

There are very few places in the United States where prostitution has been legalized and regulated – so you need to be very careful. 

What Could Happen If I’m Arrested?

Once again, it will depend on where you are and why you were arrested in the first place.

However, if you were caught using prostitutes in an area where prostitution is illegal, then you may face a hefty fine or even jail time. 

If you have been arrested for using an escort or sugar dating service though and you believe that you have not broken any laws – it’s always a good idea to speak with your legal counsel. 

Where Can I Find Paid Companionship?

There’s lots of ways you can find companionship if you wish to pay for it. However, generally speaking it is much better to find online services that have been heavily reviewed and used before. 

Try to avoid asking someone on a dating site for these sorts of services as there might be legal implications there, and you’re likely to be rejected anyway. 

Sugar websites such as WhatsYourPrice are a good place to start if that was something you were interested in. Other than that, you may decide to look for escort services online using sites such as AdultWork. 

Once again though, it’s critical to remember that you will have broken the law if you intend to hire an escort or sugar baby specifically for the purposes of sexual companionship. 

What To Remember 

Basically, if you’re looking for an easy way to remember where you stand legally – it’s not illegal to pay for a companion for a date, but it is usually illegal to pay for a sexual companion. 

Final Thoughts 

It can be tough out there to remember the legality of paid companionship, but if you bear these points in mind, you should be totally fine. Just be careful out there!

Riley Wilson
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