Solicitation of prostitution from a minor.

Existing law makes it a crime to solicit a person that the solicitor knows or should have known is a minor to commit an act of prostitution. Under existing law, this crime is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 2 days and not more than one year, or by a fine not exceeding $10,000, or by both that fine and imprisonment. This bill would remove the requirement that the person soliciting for prostitution knew or should have known that the person being solicited was a minor at the time of the offense. The bill would also authorize a person convicted of this crime to be punished either by the current punishment or by 16 months or 2 or 3 years in state prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000, or by both that fine and imprisonment. By changing the definition of a crime and increasing the punishment for a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.