Civil Liberties

"Prostitution" Stings Scoop Up Regular Horndogs

Claiming to target commercial sex, South Carolina sheriff arrests people who just want to get it on

|

Undercover stings to crack down on prostitution and public sex are snaring individuals engaged in consensual, legal activities and should be stopped, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of South Carolina contend.

In a letter sent to the Greenville County Sheriff's Office and the state solicitor's office, the ACLU outlines several incidents in which undercover officers approached people parked in their cars, sitting on their own porches or walking down the street and asked suspects to engage in illegal sexual activity, including prostitution and having sex in a public place. The individuals either declined or offered to engage in lawful private sexual contact, but were arrested anyway.