During a Monday evening meeting, the Pleasant Prairie Village Board considered and approved a new municipal ordinance pertaining to escorts and escort services. The new ordinance will regulate the provision of escort services within the Village by requiring escorts and escort services to obtain an annual license in order to legally provide their services within Village limits. Those applying for an escort or escort service license will be required to pay an application fee, prove that they are at least 18-years of age, meet other requirements, and may not have been convicted of any felony, misdemeanor or ordinance violations related to the licensed activity.
The new ordinance is intended to deter and mitigate any harmful secondary effects potentially related to these services within the Village, such as prostitution, pornography and sexual trafficking, in a way that is fully consistent with the rights granted to citizens through the First Amendment to the Constitution. "I want to be very clear and to the point," stated Interim Police Chief David Mogensen. "This ordinance doesn't make prostitution legal, and anyone who exchanges sex for money will face charges."
Similar ordinances have been passed in other Wisconsin municipalities over the past several years as more and more advertisements for local escort availability have appeared on the Internet. "While we understand that many escorts and services will not apply for a license, we believe the new ordinance will prove a useful tool in furthering public safety within our community," added Mogensen. "It's very easy to verify whether an escort providing services here has a license or not, and the fine for providing services without a license is substantial. We believe these measures will become a strong deterrent to those providing illegitimate or illegal services in our community."