Reminder in these trying times
[QUOTE=TheIceGuy;7405352]Bingo.
None of us had any intimate relations with any of those girls. We were never offered anything in fact.
And remember, in the event they do some sort of ridiculous sting on former customers, they're going to lie and give fake promises because they have nothing on anyone. Maybe a license plate but we are legally allowed to get a massage. I personally did DoorDash and dropped off food from time to time. Is that a crime?
It's super unlikely they'll come for customers but in the event they do just remember nobody did anything other than get a legitimate massage if you were even there at all. And if they make empty threats, it's lawyer time.[/QUOTE]Absolutely agree on the "super unlikely". The press conference noted they had not charged any of the alleged Johns. Yet. That "yet" is just a threat. They are no more likely to bring charges against someone today than they were a few weeks or a few years ago. But they DO want you to be scared so they can leverage threats of prosecution against people. They can only prosecute with direct evidence or a sound confession and even then, very often they don't file charges or the case is dismissed since prosecution costs money and time and there are usually more important matters for the the to pursue.
Disclaimer. I'm neither a cop nor a lawyer.
When LEO arrests people for solicitation, it's pretty much always a sting where an officer is posing as a provider or a customer. The reason for this is that it allows them to collect the direct evidence they need to pursue charges. They can provide a clear audit trail of communication and establish the key component of criminality ** Exchange of money or barter for sex *.
1 - It is NOT illegal to get a massage at an AMP, even if that AMP is notorious for extras.
2 - It is NOT illegal for consenting adults to engage in sexual activity, even if it happens at a place of work or one or both of the people are known for soliciting. (Similar to, "a prostitute can be raped".).
It only becomes illegal when there is a payment for the act. Prosecuting that requires proving it beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. That's extremely difficult and prosecution is costly. That's not to say it CAN'T or won't ever happen, but you shouldn't waste your time worrying about it.
Additionally. Never forget the basic tenants of visiting an AMP, whether it's for legitimate purposes or not:
1 - Make sure there is nothing illegal in your vehicle or on your person.
2 - Never talk to police. There are many YouTube videos discussing this but the important bits are "cops aren't your friend", "cops lie through their teeth" and "Most people get themselves in trouble they could have avoided by talking when they should have stayed silent".
What's the source for letters
What's the source for these "Dear John" letters??
Could Letters just be bark
[QUOTE=MaybeSometime;7406384]Sending letters seems like a very bad idea from a legal point of view. Just having a picture of you car near the building wouldn't be enough. Many of these shops have other locations nearby where you could have actually been going. The most likely people to get those letters would be the one who visited the shops shut down by the police or because of the woman. Also, couldn't you just throw it in the trash before anyone saw it? I cann't find where they said they would send such letters so I can't be sure what they intend to do.[/QUOTE]Is there any chance the letters could just be for cameras or worst case they are only in practicality going to reveal the johns who spoke to them though for everyone's sake I hope the letters are just a threat a de facto last chance.
Definitely at least partially for the cameras
[QUOTE=JohnDick75;7406405]Is there any chance the letters could just be for cameras or worst case they are only in practicality going to reveal the johns who spoke to them though for everyone's sake I hope the letters are just a threat a de facto last chance.[/QUOTE]It sounds like this Mayor is eyeing some run at a higher office and this is his circus to push that agenda.
He definitely wants to send letters and probably would go overboard, but his attorneys will reel him in to an extent.
He wants to shame people. However, the level of shaming will have to coincide with the certainty of visitations. So if they send a lot of letters, they'll be vague and unlikely to have things like date / time, photos, etc. Custom and personalized letters will be costly and time-consuming and they only need to send 1 letter like that to someone who only went for a message and they've got a slander / libel case on their hands.
If you have visited the spas specifically charged (half of them left town on their own), if you've visited multiple spas on multiple occasions and those spas were under surveillance or have good cameras nearby, you probably should be worried about these letters. If you live, work or do any business near any of the spas, you're going to show up as a false positive if they cast a wide net.
You'll note that they are looking to add cameras, license plate readers, etc. So that suggests they don't have great records for the past.
While I don't recommend or encourage it, an unscrupulous person might consider spamming the tip line with false tips of their neighbors license plates as a means of dulling the impact, since if everyone gets a letter, it's easily played off as "if you do any business or live in Methuen, you're likely to accidentally be in one of their camera rolls". False reporting is a crime, however.
