Sex sting cases are usually won or lost on the chat transcript, and the State controls how that transcript was made. I learned how these investigations are built as a Major Crimes Unit attorney handling sex crime cases, and as founder of The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., a Tampa criminal defense firm, I have defended people arrested in Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sting operations. Our attorneys read every message, every timestamp, and every profile the detectives used before we advise a client on anything.

How do Tampa sex stings work?

Tampa Bay sex stings are undercover operations in which detectives pose online as a minor, or as a parent or relative offering a minor, and arrest the people who respond. In a four-day operation in April 2025, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested 15 people, according to a May 2025 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office press release. Detectives posed both as relatives of a juvenile offering to sell a minor and as juveniles on social media. Twelve people were arrested when they arrived at the meeting location, and 3 who agreed but did not show up were arrested later on warrants.

Operations can run much larger. In October 2025, the Sheriff announced 171 arrests from a months-long operation called Operation Unmasking Predators, with charges including human trafficking and traveling to meet a minor, according to news reports of the Sheriff’s announcement. In our experience, Hillsborough stings follow two patterns, and the pattern shapes the charges:

What charges come from a Tampa sex sting?

One conversation can produce several felonies. These are the charges our attorneys see most often in Hillsborough County sting cases:

Under section 847.0135, Florida Statutes, solicitation and traveling both reach “another person believed by the person to be a child,” so the absence of a real child is no defense. Each separate use of a phone or computer may be charged as a separate offense. Under section 787.06, Florida Statutes, the human trafficking count reaches commercial sexual activity involving “an adult believed by the person to be a child younger than 18,” and the statute bars any defense based on belief about age. Our article on solicitation of a child using a computer explains the solicitation statute in detail, and our post on human trafficking defense in Tampa covers the trafficking statute.

What happens in the first 48 hours after a sting arrest?

The first 48 hours set the tone for the whole case. After arrest, the person is booked into the Orient Road Jail and goes before a judge at first appearance, usually within 24 hours, where bond and release conditions are set. In our experience, judges in these cases commonly order no contact with minors and restrictions on internet use as conditions of release. The Sheriff’s Office often announces operations publicly with booking photos, so clients should prepare for that.

1. Do not explain the chats. Detectives often interview people right after arrest, and statements about intent fill the gaps in the State’s case.
2. Do not unlock or hand over your phone. Ask for a lawyer and let your attorney deal with any warrant.
3. Do not delete accounts or messages. Deleting evidence can lead to a separate tampering charge.
4. Save your own records. Write down the apps used, the profile you answered, and the timeline while it is fresh.
5. Call a defense attorney before first appearance if you can. Counsel can argue bond and conditions the first time a judge sees the case.

Our Hillsborough County criminal defense attorney page explains the local court process after an arrest.

Is entrapment a defense to a Tampa sex sting?

Yes, and it is the central defense in many sting cases. Florida’s subjective entrapment statute, section 777.201, Florida Statutes, applies when law enforcement induces a person to commit a crime the person was not ready and willing to commit. The statute puts the burden on the defendant to prove entrapment by a preponderance of the evidence, and the question of predisposition is usually for the jury. Objective entrapment, a due process doctrine, bars prosecution when police conduct is so outrageous it offends basic fairness.

The Second District, which covers Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties, has made clear that these motions are hard to win before trial. In State v. Panebianco, 370 So. 3d 345 (Fla. 2d DCA 2023), Sarasota County detectives created a profile of a 19-year-old on an adult website, and within minutes “Sophia” said she was 14. The trial court dismissed every charge as entrapment. The Second District reversed, holding that the defendant’s lack of any prior record showed lack of predisposition but that the chats themselves let reasonable people disagree, so a jury had to decide. It also held the sting was not outrageous enough to be objective entrapment.

When a judge will not dismiss, the jury still must hear the defense. In Oyler v. State, 162 So. 3d 200 (Fla. 5th DCA 2015), a detective posed as an 18-year-old on a dating site that barred minors, then asked if the man “like[d] younger girls” and said she was 13. The Fifth District reversed his conviction because the trial court refused an entrapment jury instruction and excluded evidence that he had never been arrested. Our attorneys build entrapment defenses for both stages: a motion to dismiss where the facts are undisputed, and a trial record that puts predisposition squarely before the jury. Our article on entrapment in Florida covers the doctrine in more depth.

Who gets caught in online sex stings?

Research shows many people arrested in these stings started on adult platforms and had no sex offense history. A 2023 Washington State Institute for Public Policy report, Whichard and Kelley’s Internet Stings and Operation Net Nanny, studied 299 arrests from Washington State Patrol stings between 2015 and 2022. In stings using a fictitious parent, 89.8% of contacts began on adults-only platforms, and 70.4% did in stings using a fictitious child. Only 2.9% of those arrested had a prior felony sex offense against a child.

Those findings do not decide any case, but they explain why predisposition evidence matters so much. A client with no record who answered an adult ad is in a very different position from someone who sought out a child, and our attorneys gather work history, character evidence, and, when helpful, a psychosexual evaluation to show the difference.

Can you be convicted of both solicitation and traveling?

Not for the same conduct. In State v. Shelley, 176 So. 3d 914 (Fla. 2015), the Florida Supreme Court held that convictions for both solicitation under section 847.0135(3) and traveling after solicitation under section 847.0135(4) violate double jeopardy when based on the same conduct, and the solicitation conviction must be vacated. When the State charges both counts from one conversation, our attorneys use Shelley to cut the exposure and the scoresheet.

Do you have to register as a sex offender after a sting conviction?

Yes, for most sting charges. Florida’s registration statute, section 943.0435, Florida Statutes, lists section 847.0135 (except subsection (6)) and section 787.06(3)(g) among the offenses that require registration. That is why the specific charge in any plea matters as much as the sentence. A plea to the charge as filed can carry lifetime registration, while an amended charge may not, and our attorneys evaluate every offer with registration in mind. Our overview of sex offender registration in Florida explains the requirements.

How is a child sex sting different from an escort sting?

An escort sting targets adults buying sex from adults and is usually charged as solicitation of prostitution, while a child sex sting adds a “minor” and turns the case into serious felonies with registration. Some operations blur the line, starting with an adult ad and introducing a minor partway through. Our article on Tampa escort stings covers adult prostitution stings, and our guide for people who messaged a minor online covers what to do before any arrest. If a private group rather than police confronted you, see our post on vigilante predator catchers in Florida.

Can a Tampa sex sting charge be reduced to a non-sex offense?

Yes. In an October 2026 Tampa sting case, our firm got a commercial human trafficking charge reduced to prostitution and unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and neither offense requires sex offender registration. Undercover officers had played the role of a trafficker offering teenage girls, and the State had our client on video agreeing to pay for sex. No real children were involved. Rocky Brancato filed a motion to dismiss arguing that the officers entrapped the client and presented the firm’s mitigation report, and the client received a withheld adjudication and probation. You can read the full case on our case results page. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Frequently asked questions about Tampa sex stings

Can sex sting charges be dropped in Tampa?

Yes. Charges can be dropped or reduced when the chats show the detective, not the client, drove the conversation, when intent evidence is weak, or when a client withdrew before any travel. The Brancato Law Firm presents those facts to prosecutors early, and when an investigation is still open, through pre-file advocacy.

What if the profile said the person was 18?

That fact supports the defense but does not end the case, because the charges turn on what you believed after the age was raised. Courts look at the whole conversation. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm map exactly when the age came up and how the conversation changed afterward.

Can I be charged if I never drove to the meeting?

Yes. Computer solicitation is complete without travel, and people who agree but do not show up are often arrested later on warrants. The Brancato Law Firm uses the decision not to travel as evidence against predisposition, as explained on our internet crimes defense page.

Why is there a human trafficking charge when I only talked to a police officer?

Section 787.06(3)(g) covers commercial sexual activity involving an adult believed to be a child, so offering money in a parent-persona sting can support the charge even though no child existed. The Brancato Law Firm challenges whether the evidence actually shows a commercial transaction and the knowledge the statute requires.

Will my name be in the news after a Hillsborough sting?

Often, yes, because the Sheriff’s Office publicizes many operations with names and booking photos. The Brancato Law Firm focuses on the outcome that lasts, the court record, and advises clients on what can later be sealed if the case is dismissed.

Should I take a plea in a sex sting case?

Not before your attorney has reviewed the full chat logs and the registration consequences of the specific charge. Some pleas carry lifetime registration while amended charges may not. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm compare every offer against the strength of the entrapment and intent defenses.

For how The Brancato Law Firm, P.A. defends these cases, see our Tampa sex crimes defense practice.

Call before you talk to detectives about the chats

Most sting cases are shaped in the first days, when a client decides whether to explain the messages, unlock a phone, or wait for a lawyer. Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Rocky Brancato founded The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., and our attorneys defend sting cases throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties. Call us at any hour at (813) 727-7159. Our firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and attorney Jean-Luc Adrien speaks Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French. Read our guide for Spanish and Haitian Creole speakers facing criminal charges.

For more about our defense strategies, visit our Internet Crimes page.

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A.
620 E. Twiggs Street, Suite 205, Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 727-7159
Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A. is a Tampa-based criminal defense practice. We are not affiliated with any other Brancato-named law firms.

If you are planning a night at a Tampa strip club, or you are reading this after an arrest at one, the rules that decide your case are more specific than most people expect, and many of them are city ordinances that visitors have never heard of. I am Rocky Brancato, founder of The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., a Tampa criminal defense firm. I handled sex crimes cases in the Major Crimes Unit, I am the former Chief Operations Officer of the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, where I oversaw a staff of over 100 attorneys, and I have spent more than 25 years in Hillsborough County courtrooms.

Our attorneys defend patrons, dancers, and club employees charged with lewdness, solicitation, indecent exposure, and related offenses in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties. This guide explains what the Tampa City Code and Florida law actually say about strip clubs, what changed in 2024, and how strip club arrests in Tampa usually happen. For escort and online stings, see our separate guide to Tampa escort stings.

Are strip clubs legal in Florida and in Tampa?

Yes. Strip clubs are legal in Florida, and Tampa allows them as long as they follow the city’s location, alcohol, and conduct rules. Nude dancing is expressive conduct that the First Amendment protects at its outer edges, so a city cannot simply ban it. What a city can do is regulate the “secondary effects” it associates with adult businesses, such as crime and declining property values, through zoning and conduct rules.

Tampa does that in two main ways. First, an adult use needs a special use permit, and Tampa City Code section 27-132 bars any adult use within 500 feet of a residential or office district or within 1,000 feet of another adult use, with no waivers, and requires windows and doors to be screened so no one can see inside from the street. A federal court upheld those location rules in Specialty Malls of Tampa v. City of Tampa, 916 F. Supp. 1222 (M.D. Fla. 1996), a challenge to the city’s adult use location rules. The court found the city’s evidence showed 72 available sites totaling 5,364 acres, more than 7.5 percent of the city’s land, which it held was a reasonable opportunity to operate. Second, the city regulates what happens inside, which is where patrons and dancers get arrested.

The secondary-effects theory is contested. A peer-reviewed study of 20 adult dance clubs in Charlotte, North Carolina, published by Daniel Linz and colleagues in the Law & Society Review in 2004, compared crime reports from 1998 to 2000 within 500 and 1,000 feet of each club with matched control sites and found the clubs were not associated with more crime; the areas around the clubs reported fewer incidents. Courts still allow cities to rely on their own findings, so the Tampa rules below remain enforceable, and our attorneys can use that research when a prosecution leans on assumptions about who goes to these clubs.

What is Tampa’s six-foot rule for strip clubs?

Tampa’s six-foot rule makes it unlawful for anyone inside an adult use to expose a specified anatomical area or engage in a specified sexual activity within six feet of another person. The rule is Tampa City Code section 14-148, part of the adult use entertainer distance separation ordinance the city adopted in December 1999. In practice, it rules out the contact lap dance inside Tampa city limits.

The definitions matter, because they decide what counts. “Specified anatomical areas” are genitals, the pubic region, buttocks, and the female breast below the top of the areola when less than completely and opaquely covered. “Specified sexual activities” include simulated sex acts and the “fondling or other erotic touching” of genitals, the pubic region, buttocks, or female breasts. Dressing rooms and restrooms are exempt only when no one intentionally touches another person’s specified areas.

• The rule applies to every person in the club, so a patron who touches a dancer can be charged along with the dancer.
• An owner or operator who knowingly, or with reason to know, allows a violation also violates the ordinance.
• Every adult club must post an 18-by-24-inch sign inside and outside quoting the rule, which makes “I did not know” a hard defense.

A violation is punished under the city’s general penalty, Tampa City Code section 1-6: a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, up to six months of probation, or a combination. Our Tampa sex crimes lawyer team defends six-foot rule charges, which can be filed on their own or alongside state lewdness or solicitation charges that carry heavier penalties.

Can a Tampa strip club serve alcohol and allow nudity?

No. Inside Tampa city limits, a business that sells alcohol for drinking on the premises may not allow nudity, and that includes toplessness. Tampa City Code section 14-97 makes it unlawful for the operator to permit any woman to expose “that area of the human breast at or below the areola,” or anyone to expose genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or the anal cleft, and makes the same exposure unlawful for the performer. It also bans any device or covering meant to simulate those areas.

Under that rule, a club inside the city has two lawful models: a bar that sells alcohol with covered dancers, or a nude club that does not sell alcohol. An earlier version of this article said topless dancing is allowed where alcohol is served; that is not accurate for clubs inside the City of Tampa, and we have corrected it. A conviction of an owner, manager, or employee under section 14-97 also gives the city just cause to revoke the business’s city license, and a revoked club must wait at least six months and go through a City Council hearing before it can be licensed again.

Alcohol brings its own rules. Under Tampa City Code section 14-150.1, licensed establishments may sell and serve alcohol only from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., and patrons may not drink or keep a drink after hours. Anyone under 21 who possesses alcohol commits a second-degree misdemeanor under section 562.111, Florida Statutes.

How old do you have to be to dance or work at a strip club in Florida?

You must be at least 21 to dance or work in any capacity at an adult entertainment establishment in Florida. Section 787.30, Florida Statutes, created by House Bill 7063, signed May 13, 2024, and effective July 1, 2024, makes it a first-degree misdemeanor for an owner, manager, employee, or contractor to knowingly employ, contract with, or permit anyone younger than 21 to perform or work there. If the underage person performs or works while nude, the offense is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The statute requires the club to check a driver license, state ID, passport, or military ID, and it bars ignorance of age, or the worker’s misrepresentation of age, as a defense.

The Legislature passed the age limit as part of an anti-human-trafficking bill. In calendar year 2023, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received 1,955 calls to its See Something, Say Something phone line, and 181 of the calls made between January 10 and December 11, 2023 were related to human trafficking, according to the Florida House final bill analysis of HB 7063 (2024). A separate statute, section 787.29, already required every strip club to post a human trafficking awareness sign that employees and the public can see.

Is the under-21 law being challenged? Not anymore. An Alachua County club, a Jacksonville club, an adult store, and a dancer sued in federal court in Tallahassee on July 1, 2024, in JCB of Gainesville, Inc. v. Moody, No. 4:24-cv-00261 (N.D. Fla.), and the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the case without prejudice; it closed on May 28, 2025. The dismissal followed Wacko’s Too, Inc. v. City of Jacksonville, 134 F.4th 1178 (11th Cir. 2025), in which the federal appeals court that covers Florida upheld a Jacksonville ordinance that effectively barred erotic dancers under 21. The court treated the age limit as a content-neutral regulation, held that it survived intermediate scrutiny, and also rejected a challenge to Jacksonville’s licensing process for dancers 21 and older. The Florida law remains in effect.

For patrons, Florida has no single statute that sets an entry age for a strip club. Section 847.013 makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to knowingly admit a minor for money to a show that depicts nudity and is harmful to minors, unless a parent accompanies the minor, and the alcohol laws set 21 as the drinking age. Each club sets its own door policy, so expect an ID check.

Do dancers need a license to work at a strip club in Hillsborough County?

Yes, under Hillsborough County’s ordinance. Florida has no statewide dancer license, but Hillsborough County’s sexually oriented business ordinance makes it unlawful to operate a sexually oriented business without a business license, or to work as an employee of one without a sexually oriented business employee license, under Hillsborough County Code section 10-196. Applicants file in person, provide proof of age, and disclose specified criminal history.

The county ordinance has its own conduct rule: an employee who regularly appears semi-nude may not knowingly or intentionally touch a customer or the customer’s clothing, under section 10-210. A knowing violation is punishable by a fine of $250 to $500, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, under section 10-208. Which rules govern a particular club depends on where it sits, so the first thing our attorneys do in a club case is identify the ordinance that applies at that address.

What can patrons and dancers be charged with at a Tampa strip club?

Strip club charges in Tampa generally fall into five groups: city ordinance violations, lewdness, solicitation, indecent exposure, and charges that follow a person out the door, such as DUI or trespass. The table shows the first-offense level and the maximum penalty for a first offense.

Lewdness is the charge that surprises people most. Section 796.07, Florida Statutes, defines lewdness as “any indecent or obscene act,” and it makes it a crime for an adult to offer to commit, commit, or engage in lewdness, and a separate crime to solicit or entice another person to do so. The solicitation penalties climb fast: a second violation is a third-degree felony with a 10-day minimum jail term, and a third is a second-degree felony, with the maximum terms set by section 775.082. Our guide Is Prostitution Legal in Florida? walks through the full penalty ladder.

Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal addressed lap dances directly in State v. Waller, 621 So. 2d 499 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). Undercover officers from the Clearwater Police Department said a dancer at a Clearwater lounge gave an officer a five-dollar private lap dance, simulating intercourse and rubbing against his genital area while he was fully clothed. The court held that lewdness under section 796.07 includes indecent acts and is not limited to obscenity, and that whether her dance was lewd was a question for a jury, not something to decide on a motion to dismiss. The lesson for anyone charged today is that lewdness turns on facts: what was touched, where, for how long, and who saw it. Our Pinellas County criminal defense team handles these cases on both sides of the bay.

A private room does not change the analysis. In State v. Conforti, 688 So. 2d 350 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997), an undercover officer paid for a “two female entertainment package” in a closed private room at a Broward County adult business, and two dancers performed sex acts during the show. The trial court dismissed the lewdness charges, but the appeals court reinstated them, holding that the acts were not protected expression and that the dancers had no legitimate expectation of privacy in a business open to paying customers. VIP rooms and champagne rooms are where many of these cases start.

Exposure is a separate statute. Section 800.03, Florida Statutes, makes it a crime to expose sexual organs in public “in a vulgar or indecent manner,” but it exempts a person who is “merely naked” at a place set apart for that purpose. That exception gives a performer on a club stage a defense that does not exist on a street corner, and it is one of the first issues our attorneys examine in an exposure case.

How do strip club arrests usually happen in Tampa?

Strip club arrests in Tampa tend to start in one of five ways: an undercover vice investigation inside the club, an offer made in a private room, drugs, a dispute that turns physical or ends with a refusal to leave, or a traffic stop after the patron drives away. In 2025 the Florida Attorney General announced the conviction of the owner of Risque Gentlemen’s Club in Tampa for racketeering, cocaine trafficking, and money laundering after a Tampa Police undercover investigation in which detectives bought drugs from dancers and employees and received offers for commercial sex acts, according to the Attorney General’s April 23, 2025 news release.

1. Undercover officers inside the club. Detectives pose as customers, pay for dances, and document touching, offers, and prices. The officer’s report, any recording, and the club’s own video become the evidence.
2. Private room offers. A conversation about “extras” in a VIP room can become a solicitation or offering charge under section 796.07, even when nothing physical happens.
3. Drug sales and possession. Club investigations often include controlled buys, and a patron searched later may face a possession charge.
4. Fights, theft accusations, and trespass. Disputes over tabs, tips, or a wallet lead to battery, theft, or trespass charges once staff tell a patron to leave and he refuses.
5. DUI on the way home. Many arrests connected to Tampa strip clubs happen blocks away, not inside: drivers leaving after midnight are stopped and charged with DUI. Our Tampa DUI lawyer page and our Hillsborough County DUI arrest timeline explain what follows.

Escort ads, online chats, and street reverse stings are a different kind of case with different evidence, and we cover them in Tampa Escort Stings: How Prostitution Arrests Happen. When a club investigation reaches trafficking, the charges move into chapter 787 and the exposure becomes a felony; our Tampa human trafficking defense guide covers those cases.

What should you do if you are arrested at or near a Tampa strip club?

Ask for a lawyer, then stop talking about what happened in the club. In Hillsborough County, a person arrested in Tampa is booked at the Orient Road Jail and sees a judge at first appearance within 24 hours, appearing by video from the jail while the judge sits downtown; our guide to the first 48 hours after an arrest in Tampa explains that hearing. Jail phone calls are recorded, and an explanation to an officer or a cellmate becomes evidence.

• Do not explain, apologize, or describe the dance or the conversation to officers.
• Do not consent to a search of your phone, car, or wallet; say you do not consent and let your lawyer handle it.
• Write down the club, the time, the room, and the names or descriptions of staff and anyone who saw what happened, and give the notes only to your lawyer.
• Do not contact the dancer, the club, or other witnesses about the case.
• Keep your court paperwork and the date of your first court appearance.

If you were not arrested but learned that detectives are reviewing a club investigation, or you were identified in a raid, there may still be time for representation before charges are filed. Our attorneys contact the State Attorney’s Office early and press for no filing, a reduced charge, or diversion. Our Hillsborough County criminal defense attorneys handle these cases at the courthouse two blocks from our office.

Results in related cases

These results come from cases our firm handled involving related charges. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Frequently asked questions about Tampa strip club laws

Are lap dances legal in Tampa?

Contact lap dances are effectively illegal inside Tampa city limits because Tampa City Code section 14-148 bars exposure of specified areas and erotic touching within six feet of another person in an adult club. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm review the club’s video and the officer’s distance estimate in every six-foot case, because the ordinance turns on what was exposed and how close people were. See our sex crimes defense page for how we defend these charges.

How old do you have to be to go into a strip club in Tampa?

Florida has no single statute setting an entry age for patrons, so clubs set their own door policies, and anyone under 21 cannot legally possess alcohol under section 562.111. If a night out ends in an underage possession charge, The Brancato Law Firm can explain the diversion options that may keep it off a permanent record.

Can you record video inside a Tampa strip club?

A club can ban phones and cameras as a condition of entry, and a patron who refuses to leave after staff tell him to go can be charged with trespass under section 810.08. When a recording dispute turns into a trespass or battery arrest, The Brancato Law Firm looks first at the club’s own surveillance video, which can show who escalated.

What time do strip clubs close in Tampa?

A Tampa club that sells alcohol must stop selling and serving at 3:00 a.m. under Tampa City Code section 14-150.1, and patrons may not drink after that hour. When a night out ends in a DUI stop after closing time, The Brancato Law Firm starts by requesting the stop video and the breath test records.

Can a solicitation charge from a strip club be dropped in Florida?

Yes. Prosecutors can drop or reduce a strip club solicitation charge when the evidence of an offer of money for sex is weak, the recording is incomplete, or the defendant qualifies for diversion. The Brancato Law Firm presses for those outcomes before the first court date, and our pre-file advocacy work starts even earlier when no charge has been filed yet.

Is Mons Venus legal under Tampa law?

Any Tampa club, including well-known names such as Mons Venus, operates legally only by complying with the same rules: an adult use permit at an approved location, the six-foot rule, no nudity where alcohol is sold, and no performers under 21. When a patron or dancer is charged after a night at any Tampa club, The Brancato Law Firm focuses on whether the specific conduct charged actually violated one of those rules.

Talk to a Tampa defense lawyer before your first court date

Start by finding the first court date on your release paperwork and calling us before it arrives. The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., founded by Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Rocky Brancato, defends lewdness, solicitation, exposure, and ordinance charges from Tampa Bay adult clubs, and our attorneys will request the officer’s report, any recordings, and the club’s video while that evidence still exists. Call (813) 727-7159 for a confidential consultation; you can call us at any hour, and our office is two blocks from the courthouse. Our firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and attorney Jean-Luc Adrien speaks Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French.

For more about our defense strategies, visit our Tampa Sex Crimes Lawyer page.

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A.

620 E. Twiggs Street, Suite 205, Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 727-7159

Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A. is a Tampa-based criminal defense practice. We are not affiliated with any other Brancato-named law firms.

A Florida prosecutor who charges prostitution has to prove more than sex. The State must prove that sexual activity was offered, requested, or exchanged for hire, and judges look first at the words and the payment that connect the two. I have watched that element decide cases for more than 25 years in Hillsborough County courtrooms. I am Rocky Brancato, founder of The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., a Tampa criminal defense firm, a veteran of the Public Defender’s Major Crimes Unit, and the former Chief Operations Officer of the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, where I oversaw a staff of over 100 attorneys.

Our attorneys defend people accused of prostitution, solicitation, and related offenses in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties. This guide explains what Florida law allows, what it forbids, where the penalties climb, and how a prostitution case can turn into a human trafficking case.

Is prostitution legal anywhere in Florida?

No. Prostitution is a crime in every Florida county and city, and Florida has no licensed brothels, red-light districts, or tolerance zones. Section 796.07 applies the same way in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Miami, Orlando, and everywhere else in the state, so the answer to where prostitution is legal in Florida is nowhere. Nevada is the state known for licensed brothels: Nevada law allows prostitution only inside a licensed house of prostitution, and Florida has never adopted that system.

A reputation does not change the law either. Nebraska Avenue in Tampa has long been known for street prostitution, and Tampa Police and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office regularly run undercover operations in that corridor, including reverse stings in which officers pose as sex workers. A person arrested there faces the same statute, the same penalties, and the same Hillsborough County criminal court as anyone else.

What Florida does not criminalize is sex between consenting adults. The crime is sex for hire. Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal made that point in Haddaway v. State, 891 So. 2d 631 (Fla. 5th DCA 2005), a case in which officers saw a woman performing oral sex on a driver in a parked car and charged her with prostitution. The State never called the driver or offered other proof that she was paid. The court reversed her conviction and ordered her discharged, holding that “payment for sex is a core element of the crime” and that section 796.07 “does not prohibit consenting adults from engaging in sex.” Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm start every prostitution case by asking what evidence, if any, proves the payment.

What does Florida’s prostitution law prohibit?

Section 796.07, Florida Statutes, defines prostitution as “the giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire,” excluding sexual activity between spouses, and then lists nine prohibited acts in subsection (2). The statute defines sexual activity as oral, anal, or female genital penetration by or union with another person’s sexual organ, penetration by an object, or handling or fondling another person’s sexual organ for masturbation. It also reaches lewdness, meaning any indecent or obscene act, and assignation, meaning making an appointment or engagement for prostitution or lewdness.

Two trial rules in subsection (3) work in the State’s favor. Testimony about the reputation of the place, of the people who live in or frequent it, and of the defendant is admissible to support the charge, and a police officer may testify as the offended party. Those rules make the defense’s own investigation of the location and the witnesses important, and our Tampa sex crimes attorney page explains how our firm defends the full range of these charges.

Is escorting legal in Florida?

Yes, escorting is legal in Florida when the client pays only for time and companionship, such as a dinner date or an event, and no sexual activity is part of the arrangement. No Florida statute makes paid companionship itself a crime; the legal line is section 796.07’s definition of prostitution. Once money or another form of payment is tied to sexual activity, the arrangement is prostitution for the escort and soliciting or purchasing for the client, whatever the ad, the agency, or the website calls it.

The label on the payment does not decide the case; the conversation does. Prosecutors read texts for code words that tie a “donation” to a sex act, and defense lawyers read the same texts for what was never said. In a reverse sting, that conversation is often with a detective, which is the subject of our guide to Tampa escort stings.

If prostitution is illegal, why are escort sites everywhere?

Escort websites stay online because an ad for companionship is not, by itself, an offer of sex for hire under section 796.07, and the law is enforced against the people who use those ads to arrange paid sex. Every Florida user is bound by the statute the moment a message ties payment to sexual activity.

The volume is large. Between July 1 and October 2, 2024, researchers counted 340,389 commercial sex ads posted in Florida, according to the 2024 State Report on Human Trafficking from the University of South Florida’s Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Lab, which a 2023 Florida law made the state’s repository for anonymous human trafficking data. The report cautions that an ad count does not by itself show trafficking, but the number explains why Florida police agencies use escort sites as an investigative tool, and why our attorneys treat the ad and every message as evidence to be obtained in full.

Is sugar dating legal in Florida?

Sugar dating is legal in Florida when the relationship is a relationship and the money is not payment for sexual activity. An allowance, gifts, or travel given to someone you are dating does not violate section 796.07 by itself, because the statute requires sexual activity “for hire.” The risk comes when the terms are explicit: a message that sets a price per meeting and ties it to sex reads like the same offer and solicitation the statute punishes, whether it was sent through a sugar dating app or an escort site.

The State still has to prove the exchange. Under Haddaway, the exchange of “money or some sort of financial consideration” is a core element that must be proven with competent evidence. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm review the full message history in these cases, because one line pulled out of a months-long relationship can make an ordinary arrangement look like a transaction.

Is OnlyFans or webcam work prostitution in Florida?

Selling solo adult content online is generally not prostitution under section 796.07, because the statute’s definition of sexual activity requires contact with another person’s body, such as penetration, union with another person’s sexual organ, or handling another person’s sexual organ. A creator who performs alone on camera for paying adult subscribers does not give the body to a buyer for that kind of activity.

Three situations change the analysis. An in-person meeting with a subscriber for paid sex is prostitution and soliciting like any other. Everyone shown in the content must be an adult, and child pornography laws apply regardless of anyone’s consent. And Florida’s human trafficking statute, section 787.06, counts “the production of pornography” as commercial sexual activity, so coercing an adult or involving a minor in content production can be charged as trafficking. Our guide Is Porn Legal in Florida? covers the age verification and obscenity rules for adult content, and The Brancato Law Firm advises creators who are contacted by detectives about their accounts.

Are massage parlors and “happy ending” massages legal in Florida?

Licensed therapeutic massage is legal in Florida, but a massage that includes sexual activity for a fee is prostitution, and Florida punishes a massage business used for prostitution more harshly than other locations. Under section 796.07(7), when a place operated for prostitution under paragraph (2)(a) is a massage establishment that is or should be licensed, a first offense rises from a second-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree misdemeanor, a second offense becomes a third-degree felony, and a third becomes a second-degree felony. A customer who pays for a sexual extra is usually charged with soliciting under section 796.07(2)(f) or purchasing under section 796.07(2)(i).

Massage law adds its own rules. Section 480.0485 prohibits sexual misconduct by massage therapists, and section 480.0475 bars most massage establishments, other than those in places such as hotels and health care facilities, from operating between midnight and 5 a.m. or letting anyone live or sleep on the premises. A first violation of section 480.0475 is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a second is a third-degree felony.

Florida has many of these businesses. The USF 2024 State Report on Human Trafficking counted 1,207 illicit massage businesses operating in Florida in 2024, using data from the counter-trafficking organization The Network, and found that illicit massage locations across Florida grew 47% from 2019 to 2024. In its 2025 Florida data, the National Human Trafficking Hotline listed illicit massage and spa businesses as the most frequently identified specific venue for sex trafficking cases in the state, with 49 cases.

Massage parlor cases also raise search-and-seizure issues. In State v. Kraft, 301 So. 3d 981 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020), the case that included New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, police obtained a warrant to hide cameras in the massage rooms of a Jupiter day spa and record for up to five days, and Kraft was charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution. The Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed orders suppressing all of the video because the warrants contained no instructions to minimize the recording of innocent customers, and innocent spa clients were recorded undressed. The lesson for anyone charged after a massage business investigation is that how the evidence was gathered can matter as much as what it shows, and The Brancato Law Firm examines every warrant and recording for those defects.

Are strip clubs legal in Florida?

Yes. Adult entertainment clubs are legal in Florida for adult customers, subject to local licensing and the state’s laws on nudity, alcohol, and age. What a customer may not do is pay a dancer for sexual activity, which is prostitution and soliciting under section 796.07, or commit lewd acts the law prohibits.

Since July 1, 2024, section 787.30, Florida Statutes, created by HB 7063 (chapter 2024-184, Laws of Florida), has made it a crime for an owner, manager, employee, or contractor of an adult entertainment establishment to knowingly let anyone under 21 perform or work there. It is a first-degree misdemeanor, or a second-degree felony if the person under 21 performs or works nude, the club must check government identification, and ignorance or misrepresentation of age is not a defense. Our guide Heading to the Tampa Strip Clubs? covers the legal issues customers and workers run into at Tampa clubs.

What are the penalties for prostitution in Florida?

Florida’s prostitution penalties depend on two things: whether the charge is soliciting under section 796.07(2)(f) or one of the other prohibited acts, and how many prior violations the person has. Soliciting carries the steeper ladder. The maximum terms and fines come from section 775.082 and section 775.083.

A solicitation conviction also brings 100 hours of community service, a paid educational program if the circuit has one, and a possible vehicle impoundment of up to 60 days, and any outcome other than an acquittal or a dismissal triggers a $5,000 civil penalty under section 796.07(6). A person charged with a third or later violation other than soliciting must be offered pretrial intervention or a substance abuse treatment program under section 796.07(4)(b). Our guide to escort sting arrests in Tampa walks through the solicitation add-ons in detail, and our post on felony vs. misdemeanor charges in Florida explains how the degrees compare.

What has changed in Florida prostitution law since 2023?

Florida’s penalty ladder for prostitution and soliciting is the same in 2026 as it was in 2023, and three recent changes surround it.

HB 7063 did not amend section 796.07 or change prostitution penalties. Its effect on prostitution cases is indirect, through the age rule for adult clubs and the state’s broader anti-trafficking program.

When does a prostitution case become human trafficking?

A prostitution case becomes a human trafficking case under section 787.06 when the State alleges that an adult was coerced or that the other person was under 18 or believed to be under 18. Florida’s definition of human trafficking includes soliciting, purchasing, patronizing, or obtaining another person for exploitation, and its definition of commercial sexual activity includes any violation of chapter 796. That means a paid encounter that would be a misdemeanor between consenting adults can be charged as a felony when the other person was trafficked and the State can prove the accused acted knowingly or in reckless disregard of the facts.

Two rules make the minor cases unforgiving. Under section 787.06(10), ignorance of the person’s age, a lie about age, or an honest belief about age is not a defense, and under section 787.06(12), a minor’s consent is not a defense. Both Florida trafficking charges in the table also require sex offender registration under section 943.0435. Prostitution remains the more common offense: the USF 2024 report found three to four times as many prostitution offenses as human trafficking offenses in FDLE data. Trafficking cases still add up, and the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 904 human trafficking cases in Florida in 2025, involving 1,416 victims.

Sting cases in which a detective claims to be a minor follow their own rules, covered in our Tampa Bay online sex sting defense guide, and our Tampa human trafficking defense page explains how those felonies are defended. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm treat any mention of age in the messages as the most important fact in the file.

What consequences follow a prostitution charge besides jail?

A prostitution or solicitation case can follow a person long after the sentence ends. The most common consequences are these:

• The $5,000 civil penalty. A solicitation charge that ends in anything other than an acquittal or a dismissal carries the penalty under section 796.07(6), even when adjudication is withheld.
• A criminal record. The arrest and the outcome appear on background checks unless the record is sealed or expunged, and an outcome without an adjudication of guilt can keep that option open.
• Public exposure. Arrest records and booking photos are public. Florida’s public database of solicitation convictions ended on January 1, 2024, but agencies still publicize large operations.
• Professional licenses. Nurses, teachers, massage therapists, and other licensed professionals may have to report an arrest or a plea to a licensing board.
• Immigration. Prostitution-related offenses can carry immigration consequences, so a non-citizen should get advice before entering any plea. Our firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and attorney Jean-Luc Adrien speaks Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French.
• Registration. An adult conviction under section 796.07 does not require sex offender registration, but the trafficking charges described above do.

How do our attorneys defend prostitution and solicitation charges?

Our attorneys defend these charges by testing each element the State must prove and using what that review shows to push for a dismissal, a diversion, or a trial. The work usually follows six steps:

1. Hold the State to the payment element. Under Haddaway, payment for sex must be proven with competent evidence, and a case built on what officers saw without proof of payment can fail.
2. Read every message in context. We obtain the full conversation, including who first raised money and whether a price was ever tied to a sex act.
3. Challenge how the evidence was gathered. We review warrants, phone searches, recordings, and any statements, and file a motion to suppress when the law supports one, as the defense did successfully in Kraft.
4. Raise entrapment when police induced the offense. Our entrapment defense guide explains the test Florida courts apply.
5. Negotiate diversion or a reduction. We press for a pretrial diversion agreement or a charge that avoids the solicitation penalties, and we hold the State to the mandatory pretrial intervention offer in section 796.07(4)(b) when it applies.
6. Protect the record. We aim for a dismissal or an outcome without an adjudication of guilt, which can avoid the civil penalty and keep sealing or expunction available.

What should you do if you are under investigation or were just arrested?

Say nothing about the facts, keep every message, and call a defense lawyer before the State Attorney’s Office decides what to file. After an arrest, prosecutors review the reports and decide which charge, if any, to file, and our pre-file advocacy puts the weaknesses in front of the prosecutor before that decision is made. If a detective calls before any arrest, the call is often part of building the case, and our firm can speak with the detective for you.

Do not delete messages, apps, or call logs after an arrest, because deleting evidence can create a new legal problem and the full conversation is often what helps you. Write down what happened while it is fresh, share it only with your lawyer, and keep the paperwork that shows your first court date.

Frequently asked questions about Florida prostitution law

Is it illegal to offer to pay for sex in Florida even if nothing happens?

Yes, an offer is enough, because section 796.07(2)(f) makes it a crime to solicit, induce, entice, or procure another person to commit prostitution, so the offense can be complete before any money changes hands or anyone meets. The Brancato Law Firm looks closely at whether the words actually tied payment to a sex act, which is often the weakest point in a Tampa solicitation sting case.

Are brothels legal in Florida?

No, brothels are illegal in Florida: operating any place for prostitution violates section 796.07(2)(a), and knowingly renting space for it violates section 796.06. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm defend property owners, managers, and workers charged under both statutes, including the higher penalties that apply when the location is a massage establishment.

Is a happy ending massage legal in Florida?

No, paying for sexual touching during a massage is prostitution for the provider and soliciting or purchasing for the customer under section 796.07, even at a licensed business. The Brancato Law Firm reviews how these cases were investigated, including hidden-camera evidence of the kind the Fourth District suppressed in State v. Kraft.

Is prostitution a felony in Florida?

It can be: a third or later prostitution offense is a third-degree felony, a second solicitation offense is a third-degree felony, and a third solicitation offense is a second-degree felony under section 796.07. The Brancato Law Firm checks every prior conviction the State relies on, because the count of priors is what moves a case from misdemeanor to felony, as our guide to Florida felony degrees explains.

Can prostitution charges be dropped in Florida?

Yes, prostitution and solicitation charges can be dropped when the proof of payment is weak, when key evidence is suppressed, or through a diversion program the prosecutor agrees to. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm often start before a charge is filed, through representation before charges are filed, while the prosecutor’s decision is still open.

Do you have to register as a sex offender for prostitution in Florida?

No, an adult conviction under section 796.07 is not on Florida’s registration list in section 943.0435, but human trafficking convictions under section 787.06(3)(b), (d), (f), or (g) are. The Brancato Law Firm screens every plea offer against that list, and our sex crimes defense practice handles the trafficking cases where registration is at stake.

¿Es legal la prostitución en Florida?

No, la prostitución es ilegal en todo el estado de Florida, incluidos Tampa, Miami y Orlando, y la ley castiga tanto a quien ofrece servicios sexuales como a quien paga por ellos. The Brancato Law Firm tiene personal que habla español, y el abogado Jean-Luc Adrien habla español, criollo haitiano y francés; lea más sobre nuestros servicios de defensa penal en español.

Call before your first court date

Your first court date, printed on the paperwork you received at release, is the deadline to plan around, and the work that helps most happens before it. The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., founded by Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Rocky Brancato, defends prostitution, solicitation, and related charges across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties, and our attorneys will request the reports and messages, raise diversion with the prosecutor, and protect your record from the start. Call (813) 727-7159 for a free, confidential consultation. You can call us at any hour, and our office is two blocks from the courthouse. Our firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and attorney Jean-Luc Adrien speaks Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French.

For more about our defense strategies, visit our Tampa Sex Crimes Lawyer page.

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A.

620 E. Twiggs Street, Suite 205, Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 727-7159

Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A. is a Tampa-based criminal defense practice. We are not affiliated with any other Brancato-named law firms.

Escort stings in Tampa are built on text messages and recordings, and as founder of The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., a Tampa criminal defense firm, and a former Chief Operations Officer of the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, where I oversaw a staff of over 100 attorneys, I have spent more than 25 years in Hillsborough County courtrooms learning how much those records decide. Our attorneys start every sting case by getting the complete chat log and every recording, because an arrest report summarizes the conversation in the way that best fits the State’s theory.

How do escort and prostitution stings work in Tampa?

A Tampa escort sting puts an undercover detective on one side of a paid-sex conversation and arrests the person on the other side once the conversation reaches an offer, an agreement, or a meeting. In Hillsborough County, these operations are run mainly by HCSO’s Human Trafficking Section and the Tampa Police Department, and they take four common forms.

Street operations in Tampa have long centered on the Nebraska Avenue corridor, where Tampa Police and HCSO run reverse stings with officers posing as sex workers, as our firm explains in its guide Is Prostitution Legal in Florida? Online operations follow the same logic on a phone screen, and they fall within the work of our Tampa internet crimes attorney team as well as our sex crimes practice.

These operations are frequent and large. HCSO’s “Operation Relentless Summer,” which ran from June 8 to August 5, 2026 and included undercover online chat and hotel and motel operations, produced 116 arrests, according to an HCSO news release from August 2026. An earlier HCSO operation, from January 1 to February 6, 2026, produced 89 arrests and 1,217 felony charges, HCSO reported in March 2026. HCSO also reported in 2026 that its Human Trafficking Section has made 1,343 arrests since it was created in 2021.

Those totals mix adult solicitation cases with child-sting felonies, because HCSO describes the January operation as targeting people seeking “to sexually exploit children and purchase sex.” That overlap is why the first question our attorneys ask in any sting case is whether a minor was ever mentioned.

Reverse stings aimed at buyers are part of a national demand-reduction strategy. A National Institute of Justice summary of a national study by Abt Associates researchers Michael Shively, Kristina Kliorys, Kristin Wheeler, and Dana Hunt lists street-level, brothel-based, and web-based reverse stings, seizing cars used to buy sex, “john schools,” and “john shaming” among the tactics U.S. communities use to reduce demand. Florida’s solicitation statute contains versions of several of them: vehicle impoundment, an educational program, and a civil penalty that funds safe houses.

Do police run stings on Listcrawler and other escort sites?

Yes. Police in the Tampa area post decoy ads and answer real ads on the same escort listing sites and apps the public uses, including sites such as Listcrawler, so the person behind an ad may be a detective. Nothing in the public record shows that Listcrawler itself is operated by police, and a detective does not need to run a website to run a sting on it.

Looking at escort ads is not a crime in Florida. Section 796.07 makes it a crime to offer to commit prostitution, to solicit or procure another person for prostitution, or to purchase the services of a person engaged in prostitution, so the legal line is crossed in the messages, at the point where money is tied to sexual activity. If you are facing escort allegations after a sting, the State still has to prove that offer or agreement beyond a reasonable doubt, and The Brancato Law Firm reads every message to find out whether it can.

What charges follow a Tampa escort sting arrest?

Most buyers arrested in a Tampa escort sting are charged with soliciting prostitution under section 796.07(2)(f), Florida Statutes, which makes it unlawful “to solicit, induce, entice, or procure another to commit prostitution, lewdness, or assignation.” Some are charged instead with offering to commit prostitution under section 796.07(2)(e) or with purchasing the services of a person engaged in prostitution under section 796.07(2)(i). Florida defines prostitution as “the giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire,” so the State must connect payment to sexual activity. Our Tampa sex crimes attorney page explains how our firm defends the full range of these charges.

Solicitation carries a steeper penalty ladder than the other prostitution offenses. The maximum jail terms and fines for each level come from section 775.082 and section 775.083.

The statute has no look-back period, so an old prior conviction can move a new case up a level. A second solicitation charge is already a felony, which changes the scoresheet, the bond, and the long-term record; our guide Felony vs. Misdemeanor in Florida explains how the levels compare.

What extra penalties come with a solicitation conviction in Florida?

A solicitation conviction in Florida brings mandatory add-ons beyond jail and fines, plus a vehicle penalty the judge may choose to impose. Section 796.07 and section 796.08 set them out:

• $5,000 civil penalty. Under section 796.07(6), a solicitation charge that ends in “any judicial disposition other than acquittal or dismissal” carries a $5,000 civil penalty. The first $500 funds drug court programs, and the rest goes to the Department of Children and Families for safe houses and safe foster homes.
• 100 hours of community service. The court must order it for every solicitation conviction.
• An educational program. The person convicted must pay for and attend one if the judicial circuit has it. Since 2023, the statute has listed what the program covers, including the link between demand for commercial sex and human trafficking.
• A 10-day minimum jail term for a second or later solicitation conviction.
• Vehicle impoundment. If a vehicle was used, the judge may order it impounded or immobilized for up to 60 days after a conviction. The owner can have the order dismissed if, for example, the family has no other transportation or the car was stolen at the time.
• STD and HIV screening. Under section 796.08, a person convicted of prostitution or of procuring another to commit prostitution must undergo screening for sexually transmissible diseases, including HIV, and complete any needed treatment before release from probation or jail.

None of those penalties includes sex offender registration. An adult solicitation conviction under section 796.07 is not on the registration list in section 943.0435; the charges that do require registration are the child-sting felonies covered below. The Brancato Law Firm checks every proposed plea against that registration list before a client decides.

Will my name be made public after a Tampa prostitution sting?

Your arrest is a public record, but Florida no longer keeps a statewide list of people convicted of soliciting prostitution. Starting in 2019, section 796.07(5)(e) sent solicitation convictions involving payment, including those resolved with a withhold of adjudication, to a “Soliciting for Prostitution Public Database” kept by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. That provision expired on January 1, 2024, and the 2023 version of section 796.07 is the last one that contains it.

Other exposure remains. HCSO news releases about large operations often name the people arrested, and booking photos can spread to commercial mugshot sites. Under section 901.43, a site whose business is publishing booking photos cannot charge to remove one and must take it down within 10 calendar days of a written request sent by registered mail. A dismissal or a withhold of adjudication may also allow the court record to be sealed or expunged under section 943.059 or section 943.0585, which generally require that the person was never adjudicated guilty of a crime. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm shape plea negotiations around keeping that option open.

What happens if a minor was mentioned during the sting?

If a minor was mentioned in the conversation, the case usually becomes a felony sting with prison and registration exposure, even when no real child existed. Florida’s human trafficking statute, section 787.06(3)(g), makes trafficking for commercial sexual activity involving “an adult believed by the person to be a child younger than 18 years of age” a life felony. Using a phone or computer to solicit a child, or a person believed to be a child, is a third-degree felony under section 847.0135(3), and a second-degree felony if the accused misrepresented his or her age. Traveling to meet a believed minor after that kind of contact is a second-degree felony under section 847.0135(4). Each of those offenses requires sex offender registration.

The Second District Court of Appeal, which hears appeals from Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties, addressed this pattern in State v. Panebianco, 370 So. 3d 345 (Fla. 2d DCA 2023). Officers created a profile of a 19-year-old woman on an adult companionship website, and the persona then told the man she was 14. The trial court dismissed the charges as entrapment, but the appellate court reversed, holding that a jury had to decide whether he was predisposed, even though he had no record of offenses against minors. For anyone arrested after an adult-site conversation, the age claim, when it was made, and every message after it will decide the case.

These felony stings have their own guides on our site: Tampa Bay online sex sting defense, solicitation of a child using a computer, traveling to meet a minor, and Tampa human trafficking defense. Our firm’s published results in these cases include the following.

Every case depends on its own facts, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. More outcomes are listed on our case results page.

Is entrapment a defense to a prostitution sting in Florida?

Yes. Entrapment is a complete defense in Florida when police induced the crime and the accused was not already ready to commit it. Under section 777.201, an officer entraps a person by using “methods of persuasion or inducement which create a substantial risk that such crime will be committed by a person other than one who is ready to commit it,” and the accused must prove it by a preponderance of the evidence.

The Florida Supreme Court explained how the defense works in Munoz v. State, 629 So. 2d 90 (Fla. 1993), a case in which deputies used a 16-year-old informant with a false adult membership card to rent X-rated videos from a store owner. The court held that the statute adopted the subjective test, which asks first whether police induced the crime and then whether the accused was predisposed to commit it. Once the defense produces evidence of no predisposition, the State must prove predisposition beyond a reasonable doubt. The court found the store owner entrapped as a matter of law and held that police conduct egregious enough to violate due process under the Florida Constitution can also require dismissal. That second path is often called objective entrapment. The Brancato Law Firm files entrapment motions in Hillsborough County sting cases when the record supports them.

What did a Florida appeals court decide about entrapment in a 2026 prostitution sting?

A Florida appeals court held in February 2026 that an undercover officer who simply gives a driver the chance to buy sex has not, by that alone, induced the crime. In State v. Gadbois, No. 6D2024-1593 (Fla. 6th DCA Feb. 27, 2026), an undercover agent stood outside a hotel on South Orange Blossom Trail in Orange County, an area the State showed was known for prostitution. A driver pulled into the lot, the agent asked if he wanted to “party,” and according to the agent he agreed to her price but needed to get money first. He said he declined. Officers stopped him as he drove away, and he was charged with offering to commit prostitution under section 796.07(2)(e).

The trial court dismissed the charge after he swore that he never started the conversation or any criminal activity. The Sixth District Court of Appeal reversed, holding that “Inducement cannot be found by prompting or creating an opportunity,” and that because the officer’s account and the defendant’s account conflicted, a jury had to decide the question. The court did not decide whether he was predisposed or whether the State could prove the charge.

Gadbois is a recent Florida appellate decision on entrapment in a prostitution sting, and prosecutors in Hillsborough County can be expected to cite it. Its lesson is practical: an entrapment motion wins before trial only when the record of what was said is undisputed, which is why our attorneys fight first for the complete recordings and messages. Facts that can show inducement include a detective who pushed past a clear refusal or kept pressing for days. Facts that can show no predisposition include a clean record and no history of contacting escort ads. Our entrapment defense guide explains the test in more detail.

How do our attorneys fight a Tampa solicitation charge?

Our attorneys fight a Tampa solicitation charge by testing each element the State must prove, then using what that review shows to push for a dismissal, a diversion, or a trial. The work usually follows six steps.

1. Get the complete record. We demand every message, call recording, and body-camera file, plus the ad or profile the detective used, instead of relying on the excerpts in the arrest report.
2. Test the agreement. The State must tie payment to sexual activity. Vague words such as “party” or “hang out” are often weaker evidence than the report suggests, although code words do not protect a conversation that clearly ties money to sex.
3. Raise entrapment. When the detective induced the offense and the facts are undisputed, a sworn motion to dismiss can end the case before trial; when the facts are disputed, the defense goes to the jury.
4. Review the phone search and any statements. We look at how the phone was searched and whether statements were taken after proper Miranda warnings, and we file a motion to suppress when the law supports one.
5. Negotiate diversion or a reduction. We present the weaknesses to the prosecutor and press for a diversion program or a charge that avoids the solicitation penalties.
6. Protect the record. We aim for an outcome without an adjudication of guilt, which keeps sealing or expunction available.

Can a solicitation charge be dropped in Hillsborough County?

Yes. A solicitation charge can be dropped in Hillsborough County, most often through a diversion program or because the evidence will not hold up. The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office lists a Misdemeanor Intervention Program for first-time offenders, which requires the State Attorney’s consent, and a Pretrial Intervention program for certain first-time felony offenders, supervised by the Department of Corrections. The office does not publish a list of which charges qualify, so our attorneys raise eligibility directly with the assigned prosecutor. For a third or later prostitution offense other than solicitation, section 796.07(4)(b) requires that the person be offered pretrial intervention or a substance abuse treatment program.

Charges can also be stopped before they are filed. After a sting arrest, the State Attorney’s Office decides what to file, and our pre-file advocacy puts the weaknesses in front of the prosecutor before that decision is made.

What other consequences follow a prostitution arrest in Tampa?

A prostitution arrest in Tampa can affect work, licenses, immigration status, and family life long after the criminal case ends. The most common problems are these:

• Background checks. An arrest and its outcome appear on criminal history checks unless the record is sealed or expunged.
• Professional licenses. Nurses, teachers, and other licensed professionals may have to report an arrest or a plea to their licensing board.
• Immigration. Prostitution-related offenses can carry immigration consequences, so a non-citizen should get advice before entering any plea. Our firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and attorney Jean-Luc Adrien speaks Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French.
• Money and transportation. The $5,000 civil penalty, court costs, and a possible 60-day vehicle impoundment add up quickly.

What should you do in the first days after a Tampa escort sting arrest?

Stay silent about the facts, keep every record, and call a lawyer before the State Attorney’s Office makes its filing decision. In practice, that means:

• Do not discuss the case with detectives, with the person from the ad, or with anyone online. A follow-up message may come from the same detective.
• Do not delete messages, apps, call logs, or the ad. Deleting evidence after an arrest can create a new legal problem, and the full conversation is often what helps you.
• Write down what happened, in order, while it is fresh, and share it only with your lawyer.
• Keep the paperwork from the arrest or release, including any court date.
• Call a defense attorney before you speak with a prosecutor, an employer, or a licensing board about the case. You can call The Brancato Law Firm at any hour at (813) 727-7159.

Frequently asked questions about Tampa escort stings

Is it illegal to look at escort ads on Listcrawler in Florida?

No, browsing an escort ad is not a crime under Florida law; the offense begins when someone offers, solicits, or agrees to exchange money for sexual activity. The Brancato Law Firm reviews the messages in each case to find the exact point, if any, where the conversation crossed that line, and our guide on whether prostitution is legal in Florida explains the difference between escorting and prostitution.

Does money have to change hands for a solicitation charge in Florida?

No, section 796.07(2)(f) makes it a crime to solicit, induce, entice, or procure another person to commit prostitution, so an offer can be enough even if no money was paid. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm focus on whether the words actually tied payment to sexual activity, and our online solicitation defense page explains how we challenge chat-based cases.

Do you have to register as a sex offender for solicitation of prostitution in Florida?

No, an adult solicitation conviction under section 796.07 does not require sex offender registration. The Brancato Law Firm handles a sting where a minor was mentioned very differently, because those charges do require registration, as our online sex sting guide explains.

Will my car be impounded after a Tampa prostitution sting?

It can be, but only after a solicitation conviction and only if a vehicle was used: section 796.07(5)(d) lets the judge order impoundment or immobilization for up to 60 days. The Brancato Law Firm can ask the court to dismiss an impoundment order when the owner’s family has no other transportation, the car was stolen, or another exception in the statute applies.

Can a first solicitation charge be dropped in Tampa?

Yes, a first solicitation charge in Tampa can be dropped through a diversion agreement, a successful entrapment motion, or a prosecutor’s decision that the messages do not prove an agreement. Our attorneys at The Brancato Law Firm raise diversion eligibility with the assigned prosecutor early, and our sex crimes defense team handles these cases across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties.

What if a detective calls me after a sting but I was not arrested?

Politely decline to discuss the facts and call a lawyer, because the call may be an effort to build the case before charges are filed. The Brancato Law Firm can speak with the detective for you through our representation before charges are filed.

¿Qué debo hacer si me arrestaron en un operativo de prostitución en Tampa?

No hable del caso con la policía, no borre sus mensajes y llame a un abogado antes de que la Fiscalía decida qué cargos presentar. The Brancato Law Firm tiene personal que habla español, y el abogado Jean-Luc Adrien habla español, criollo haitiano y francés; lea más sobre nuestros servicios de defensa penal en español.

Talk to our attorneys before the State files charges

Our attorneys start by requesting the complete chat log, the recordings, and the detective’s ad or profile, then press the entrapment and agreement issues with the prosecutor while the filing decision is still open. The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., founded by Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Rocky Brancato, defends escort and prostitution sting cases across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties. Call (813) 727-7159 for a free, confidential consultation. You can call us at any hour, and our office is two blocks from the courthouse. Our firm has Spanish-speaking staff, and attorney Jean-Luc Adrien speaks Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French. Read about our Spanish and Haitian Creole criminal defense services.

For more about our defense strategies, visit our Tampa Sex Crimes Lawyer page.

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A.

620 E. Twiggs Street, Suite 205, Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 727-7159

Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A. is a Tampa-based criminal defense practice. We are not affiliated with any other Brancato-named law firms.

If you have been arrested—or suspect you are being investigated—for human trafficking in Tampa Bay, you may feel like your life is over. The shock, shame, and fear that follow are overwhelming. But being accused is not the same as being guilty. Most trafficking prosecutions in Tampa Bay arise from online sting operations—not real trafficking rings. And many sting operations are built on tactics that can be challenged.

At The Brancato Law Firm, P.A., I have defended clients facing human trafficking charges in Tampa Bay—including a case that went to trial where my client received probation instead of the prison sentence the State demanded. For over 25 years, I have focused on sex crimes defense, including practicing in an elite sex crimes unit before founding this firm.

The Reality Behind Tampa’s “Human Trafficking” Arrests

Most trafficking arrests in Tampa Bay follow a predictable pattern:

1. A man contacts what he believes is an adult escort online
2. The photos are of adult women—often officers themselves, photographed when over 18
3. The conversation turns sexual, then a bait-and-switch occurs
4. The officer claims to have “younger girls”—typically “14 or 15”
5. Even if the target backs out or never travels, charges are filed

By the time the “minor” is introduced, many targets have been drinking, using substances, or emotionally drawn in. These are life-changing accusations based on words and digital data—not real victims.

Charges That Arise from Trafficking Stings

Prosecutors frequently stack multiple charges from a single sting operation. Conviction on any of these offenses typically requires sex offender registration.

Defense Strategies in Trafficking Sting Cases

Timing Matters: The Earlier You Act, the More Options You Have

If you contact my firm immediately after arrest—or even before charges are filed—I can sometimes intervene directly with the State Attorney’s Office to prevent charges from being filed at all. Once a formal filing occurs, your name, reputation, and freedom are at risk.

Time matters. Early action allows me to shape the narrative before prosecutors do.

Why You Need a Specialist—Not Just a Criminal Defense Attorney

Human trafficking cases demand experience, precision, and insight into how law enforcement operates online. Before founding this firm, I led an elite sex crimes unit and trained attorneys on these very tactics. That experience now drives my defense of those unfairly accused.

Where other attorneys see guilt, I see constitutional violations, forensic errors, and entrapment. My work often exposes misconduct so subtle that only a sex crimes specialist would catch it.

Discretion, Dignity, and a Way Forward

This accusation does not define who you are. People from every walk of life—business owners, veterans, teachers, students—find themselves caught in these operations. I handle every case with absolute discretion and complete confidentiality. Your story stays between you and your attorney.

My goal is simple: to ensure this moment does not define the rest of your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be charged even if no minor was involved?

Yes. Law enforcement is prohibited from using real minors, so they pretend to be one. Under Florida law, belief alone is enough for a solicitation charge. That is why I focus on exposing inducement, manipulation, and lack of intent.

What if I backed out or said I changed my mind?

If you renounced the plan before any crime occurred—and not out of fear of arrest but because you genuinely changed your mind—this can form a complete defense under Florida’s renunciation statute.

What if I never traveled to meet anyone?

You can still face solicitation charges, but lack of travel is strong evidence that no substantial step toward committing a crime occurred. I use that to argue lack of intent or completion.

What if law enforcement showed suggestive images to entice me?

That behavior may support dismissal for outrageous government conduct or bolster an entrapment defense. Florida courts have repeatedly condemned tactics that manufacture criminal behavior rather than detect it.

What if I was not serious—I just wanted to learn more or report it?

Intent is key. If you were curious, conflicted, or planning to report it, that must be proven through messages, timing, and tone. I use those details to dismantle the prosecution’s theory.

Facing Human Trafficking Charges in Tampa?

If you have been arrested or believe you are being investigated for human trafficking in Tampa, Hillsborough, Pinellas, or Pasco County, call The Brancato Law Firm, P.A. now. All trafficking charges are handled directly by me—not passed to associates.

Call (813) 727-7159 for a Confidential Consultation

The Brancato Law Firm, P.A.

620 E Twiggs Street, Suite 205, Tampa, FL 33602

Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties

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• Caught in a Tampa Sex Sting? We Can Help
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• Tampa Entrapment Defense