(1) A person who, in
or in the view or within hearing of a public place, seeks another person to
act as a prostitute commits an offence under this subsection.
(2) The offence under
subsection (1) is a crime if the person whom the offender seeks to act as a
prostitute, or any of them if there are more than one, is a child.
(3) A person who
commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable —
(a) if
it is a simple offence, to imprisonment for 2 years;
(b) if
it is a crime, to imprisonment for 7 years.
(4) For the purposes
of subsection (1), a person (in this section called the offender ) seeks
another person to act as a prostitute if the offender —
(a)
invites or requests another person to act as a prostitute; or
(b)
loiters in or frequents a place for the purpose of, or with the intention of
—
(i)
inviting or requesting another person to act as a
prostitute; or
(ii)
receiving an invitation for another person to act as a
prostitute.
(5) It makes no
difference —
(a)
whether or not the offender is the prospective client; or
(b)
whether or not a particular person is sought to act as a prostitute; or
(c)
whether the offender makes or intends to make the invitation or request
directly or through someone else to, or intends to receive the invitation
directly or through someone else from, the person whom the offender seeks to
act as a prostitute.