Arrested or Charged with Patronizing a Prostitute (C.R.S. § 18-7-205) in Colorado?

An arrest for patronizing a prostitute under C.R.S. § 18-7-205 can feel humiliating, overwhelming, and deeply personal—but it’s also a legal matter with serious consequences. Even a first offense can lead to jail time, steep fines, a damaging criminal record, and long-term impacts on your career, reputation, and personal relationships.

Colorado law enforcement and prosecutors take these cases seriously, and so should you. If you’ve been arrested or charged, understanding your legal options—and getting experienced legal representation—can make all the difference in how your case is resolved.

What Does “Patronizing a Prostitute” Really Mean in Colorado?

Here’s what the law says. Under C.R.S. § 18-7-205, you can be charged with patronizing a prostitute if either of the following happened:

• You went into or stayed in a place of prostitution intending to have sex or some form of deviate sexual conduct with a prostitute; or
• You hired, offered to hire, or agreed to hire someone for that purpose.

Sounds straightforward. But in reality? It’s rarely that clean.

These cases often come down to interpretation. Maybe the conversation was vague. Maybe there was no money exchanged. Maybe nothing physical even happened. The police might say it’s clear-cut, but the actual charge rests on what they think your intent was.

Intent is hard to prove. And the burden is on them—not you. The prosecution has to show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that all the legal boxes are checked. That’s not easy. And it’s exactly where a seasoned criminal defense attorney starts taking their case apart.

So if you’re feeling like everything’s stacked against you, remember: the law still has rules. And the other side still has to follow them.

Is Patronizing a Prostitute a Felony in Colorado?

No, it’s not a felony—but that doesn’t mean it won’t turn your life upside down.

Under C.R.S. § 18-7-205, patronizing a prostitute is considered a Class 3 misdemeanor in Colorado. That’s on the lower end of the criminal charge scale, legally speaking. But if you’ve been arrested for it, you already know the label doesn’t make it feel any lighter.

A conviction can still land you:

• Up to 6 months in county jail
• Fines as high as $750
• A criminal record that doesn’t just disappear
• And a mandatory surcharge to the Prostitution Enforcement Cash Fund

If this is your first run-in with the law, the court might offer a lighter sentence—but that depends on the circumstances, the judge, and how the case is handled. If it’s not your first offense, the stakes go up fast. And here’s the part that catches many people off guard: if the person involved turns out to be a minor, even if you didn’t know, the charge shifts.

Suddenly you’re not facing a misdemeanor anymore—you’re looking at a felony for patronizing a prostituted child. That charge carries serious prison time, and it changes everything.

So while the charge might not be a felony by default, it’s not something you brush off. The consequences hit hard—and early decisions can make a big difference in how this plays out.

How Prostitution Charges Differ in Colorado: Patronizing vs. Soliciting

It’s easy to mix them up—patronizing a prostitute and soliciting for prostitution—but under Colorado law, these are two separate offenses, and the distinction matters.

• Patronizing a Prostitute (C.R.S. § 18-7-205): This usually involves entering or staying in a place of prostitution with the intent to engage in sexual conduct, or agreeing to hire someone for sex.
• Soliciting for Prostitution (C.R.S. § 18-7-202): This applies when someone asks, offers, or tries to arrange for prostitution to take place—even if no money changes hands or no act occurs.

Both are typically charged as petty offenses, but they’re tied to different behavior. And depending on the situation, the state can file both charges at the same time. That means double the exposure—and double the complications.

The Hidden Costs of a Prostitution Conviction

The legal penalties—like jail time or fines—are serious. But if you’ve been through this or are facing it now, you already know those aren’t the only consequences.

A prostitution conviction comes with fallout that doesn’t show up on a sentencing sheet:

• Your job may be at risk. Employers who run background checks can—and often do—treat any prostitution-related charge as disqualifying.
• Careers can stall out. Professional licensing boards tend to take these offenses seriously. Even a petty offense on your record can raise red flags.
• Relationships suffer. These cases often carry heavy emotional weight at home—marriages, partnerships, and family trust can all take a hit.
• Your name becomes searchable. Court records are public in most cases. That means anyone—neighbors, clients, coworkers—could come across your case online.
• The stigma sticks. Fair or not, prostitution charges tend to follow people far longer than they expect. It’s not just about clearing your name—it’s about reclaiming your footing in your community.

If you’re dealing with any of this, know this: you’re not the first person to end up here, and you’re not out of options. But the sooner you get solid legal advice, the better shot you have at protecting your future.

How Prostitution Stings Actually Work in Colorado

Across Colorado—especially in cities like Denver and Colorado Springs—law enforcement runs regular prostitution sting operations. These stings are planned, coordinated, and often leave people blindsided.

They usually take two shapes:

• In-person stings at physical locations: Officers watch suspected places of prostitution—sometimes for hours, sometimes days. If they think someone entered or stayed there with the intent to engage in sexual conduct, they move in.
• Online setups: An officer poses as a prostitute on a website known for sex work ads, arranges a meet-up, and then arrests the person who shows up—usually after money or intent is discussed.

These operations aren’t sloppy. They’re staged to look convincing. It’s not unusual for multiple officers to be involved, and for the sting to feel like a setup from the start.

If you’ve been arrested in one of these, understanding exactly how the operation worked—and whether they overstepped—is one of the first steps in building a defense.

How We Defend Patronizing Charges in Colorado

If you’ve been charged with patronizing a prostitute, you need a plan that matches the facts—not a one-size-fits-all approach. Here are some of the ways we start breaking a case down:

• No clear intent: The state has to prove you meant to pay for sex. If you were in the area for another reason—or the situation was vague—that matters.
• Entrapment: This defense is tricky, but it’s not off the table. If law enforcement pressured or lured you into saying or doing something you wouldn’t have otherwise done, that could be a defense worth exploring.
• Weak evidence: Just because there was an arrest doesn’t mean they can prove their case. We look at whether the evidence actually supports every part of the charge. Sometimes, it doesn’t.
• Violation of your rights: If the police overreached—unlawful search, lack of probable cause, illegal stop—we may be able to get key evidence tossed out.

There’s no “standard” playbook for these cases. What works in one might not apply to the next. That’s why working with criminal defense attorneys who know the prostitution laws in Colorado is so important.

Sometimes, the difference between a conviction and a case getting thrown out comes down to how well your lawyer understands what really happened—and how to challenge it.

What to Do If You’re Arrested for Patronizing a Prostitute

Getting arrested is disorienting. It’s hard to think clearly when you’re suddenly dealing with handcuffs, flashing lights, and police questions. But what you do—or don’t do—next really matters.

If you’re facing a charge for patronizing a prostitute, here’s what we want you to know:

• Don’t talk. You have the right to remain silent, and you should use it. Even a simple comment taken out of context can be used against you later. Stay calm, be respectful, but don’t try to explain anything.
• Don’t agree to any searches. That includes your car, your phone, your pockets—anything. If they don’t have a warrant, you’re allowed to say no.
• Call a defense lawyer as soon as you can. Not after court, not next week. Right away. Getting an attorney involved early can make a real difference in how your case unfolds.
• Save everything that might help. That could be texts, emails, receipts—anything tied to the situation. If you’re not sure what’s useful, hang onto it anyway. We’ll help sort it out.
• Only speak with your attorney about your case. Not friends, not family, not anyone else. Those conversations aren’t protected, and they can be used in court. Keep it between you and your lawyer.

How Dawson Law Office Handles Prostitution-Related Charges

At Dawson Law Office, we don’t treat these cases like checklists. Every arrest has its own context, and every client deserves a defense built around the facts—not assumptions.

Here’s how we approach it:

• We look closely at how the arrest happened—from the first contact with law enforcement to how they gathered their evidence.
• If something about the case doesn’t hold up—a weak statement, missing intent, a questionable sting setup—we raise it.
• If negotiation is the right path, we go there. Sometimes the right move is getting charges reduced or diverted out of the system altogether.
• If your case is heading to trial, we build from the ground up. Every detail matters. Every gap in the prosecution’s case gets challenged.

This charge doesn’t define you. It doesn’t reflect your entire life or everything you’ve built. But it does need to be handled with urgency, strategy, and respect for what’s at stake.

Protecting Your Future After a Prostitution Arrest

Being charged with patronizing a prostitute is serious—but it doesn’t have to shape the rest of your life.

A single charge under C.R.S. § 18-7-205 can carry real consequences, but the outcome isn’t set in stone. The way your case is handled—early on—can make a major difference.

If you’re in this situation, get legal help as soon as possible. At Dawson Law Office, we offer confidential consultations for people facing charges like these. No pressure. Just a conversation about where you stand and what you can do next.

You don’t need to have the answers right now. But you do need someone who knows how to deal with the system—and how to protect your rights moving forward.