Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Mayor David N. Cicilline submitted to the City Council leadership on Tuesday an ordinance that would ban indoor prostitution in the city and impose a $500 fine and a potential prison sentence.

"While the Rhode Island General Assembly continues to work to enact laws on the state level, we have the responsibility in the City of Providence to put an end to indoor prostitution that has sprouted up in our neighborhoods disguised as so-called spas," Cicilline said in a letter to City Council President Peter S. Mancini and the Councilman Michael A. Solomon, who chairs the council's ordinance committee. "I believe it is important to adopt a city ordinance now to ensure, in the interim, that we do everything in our power to stop this destructive activity in our city."

Cicilline proposes an amendment to Section 14-251 of the Code of Ordinance, which requires that massage parlors and health clubs be licensed by the city Bureau of Licenses.

The proposed new language would seek to criminalize indoor prostitution and impose penalties on profiteers and their customers:

"Anyone who knowingly permits, offers or receives any person into any place for the purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity would be subject to a $500 fine and/or imprisonment of up to 30 days.
Anyone determined to be a customer shall be found guilty of a violation and subject to a fine of $500 and/or imprisonment of up to 30 days."

Cicilline has asked Mancini and Solomon to introduce the ordinance at the council's Thursday meeting.

 Tags  Cicilline City Council prostitution Providence RI

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