Sex work is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of sexual acts performed in exchange for payment. These include prostitution, webcamming, erotic massages, fetish work, escorting, and sugaring. Therefore, all prostitution is sex work, but not all sex work is prostitution.
A prostitute or escort is legally defined as a person who offers acts of a sexual nature for payment in return. This is not limited to any gender, and the payment can be in the form of cash, gifts, alcohol, or a place to stay.
The exchange of sex or sexual activities between consenting adults for payment is not, in itself, a criminal offence for the sex worker or client. However, there are UK laws that make the activities surrounding sex work illegal. Key offences include:
- Soliciting: This refers to a sex worker attempting to secure clients in a street or public place. It is illegal under the Street Offences Act 1959.
- Operating a Brothel: A brothel is legally defined as premises where two or more sex workers offer their services. It is illegal to keep or manage a brothel.
- Controlling Prostitution for Gain (Pimping): Managing or controlling prostitution for the financial gain of a third party is illegal.
- Kerb-Crawling: This refers to clients soliciting sexual services from a person in a public place or from a vehicle.
- Paying for Exploited Services: It is illegal to obtain sexual services from a prostitute who has been subjected to force, threats, coercion, or deception. This is a "strict liability" offence under the Policing and Crime Act 2009 (Section 14), meaning a client can be prosecuted even if they were unaware of the exploitation. This includes victims of human trafficking. A more severe criminal offence is obtaining services from a person under the age of 18.
Although there is no single straightforward law that creates a “crime of prostitution,” other laws are designed to criminalise the demand for sexual services, which inherently increases exploitation and trafficking in the UK. The goal of these laws is to reduce the profitability of pimping and human trafficking.
While prostitution and other types of sex work are heavily restricted by law, all sex workers, including prostitutes and escorts, retain their fundamental human rights, including the right to access healthcare services and the right to privacy and family life.It is important to recognise that sex work is a form of work, and those who choose it deserve the same safety, respect, and autonomy as workers in any other industry.
Laws to Watch Out For:
- In accordance with the Online Safety Act 2023, adult sites such as Simple Escort must protect children from harmful content and users from illegal content. We require all our advertisers to meet Safe For Work (SFW) standards.
- Intimate Image Abuse (“Revenge Porn”): Under the Criminal Justice Act 2015, it is a criminal offence to share private, sexual images or videos of another person without their consent and with the intent to cause distress.
- Cyberflashing: Under Section 187 of the Online Safety Act, the unsolicited sending of a photograph or film of a person’s genitals is now a specific criminal offence.
We must all work to facilitate safe and consensual transactions without acting in a manner that carries legal risk. This reiterates our commitment to internet safety and compliance with UK laws. We at Simple Escort are committed to preserving our advertisers' rights by only publishing ads from verified accounts and by never sharing their private details.
For further guidance and support, please visit the following websites:
National Ugly Mugs (NUM): The primary safety resource for UK sex workers, offering alert systems, reporting tools, and support. https://nationaluglymugs.org
English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP): A campaign and advocacy group that offers legal information and fights for decriminalisation. https://prostitutescollective.net
CPS Legal Guidance on Prostitution: The official Crown Prosecution Service document outlining all relevant offences.