I learned today from a combination of reading Max and the NY Post and Daily News on line that Rapture has been raided. The Daily News story, done by experienced crime beat reporters, says that cops returned after the initial arrests with a search warrant. Apparently, business records and payroll records were seized.
I have never sessioned at Rapture, nor do I know anyone personally who worked there. However, having been an active Hang poster for the past four or five months I'd have to have been brain dead not to know a bit about Rapture. I'm very sorry this has happened and prostitution laws are ridiculous and antiquated.
Again, this is a blog and not a law office. I am not dispensing legal advice, just sharing the scramble of my submissive mind. You can't rely on anything I'm saying here as legal advice.
However, if the report is accurate that a search warrant was executed and records were seized - if people are traceable the cops will come looking and asking questions. Y'all should lawyer-up quick. Here's my post about bdsm and the law. Good luck and be careful out there!! IMO ... FWIW ...
A Munch Guide
4 years ago
2 comments:
Advo, I'd be really, really surprised if they went after clients in this. Not sure what your basis for suggesting this is. My guess is that they have accumulated all the evidence needed to bust them at the level they are going to bust them at.
Hey anon,
I hope you are right.
However, "going after" in the criminal justice system is not limited to bringing criminal charges. Were I a Rapture client, I'd be more worried about whether cops might come to talk to me as a witness, rather than thinking I'd get charged with a crime. It's highly unlikely clients would get charged with crimes here.
However, my read of the press coverage has the cops coming back with a search warrant after the arrests. Such a warrant must be authorized by a judge upon a sworn affidavit. They were interested enough to get the warrant and go back. They now have records. Did those records include client names, addresses and phone numbers? Did those records include credit card receipts? Other identifying info? I have no idea. But if I were a Rapture client, I might be worried.
As citizens, we still enjoy certain individual rights and freedoms. What those rights and freedoms are in the context of interactions with law enforcement officers and prosecutors who view you as a witness in a criminal case are sometimes complicated.
Obviously, anyone who wishes to speak to the cops can and should.
But nobody has to talk to cops or prosecutors. It's sometimes not quite that simple ... that's where a good criminal lawyer comes in.
In high profile promoting prostitution cases, owners and managers of businesses, as well as women working in the businesses, can face serious felony charges which could include money laundering, tax evasion, currency reporting violations and enterprise corruption/racketeering charges. Clients of such businesses can legitimately be viewed as potential witnesses.
I dunno, were all the owners of Rapture arrested? I just hang out at Max and talk about how I wanna be friends with my domme ... what the hell do I know. Might they be building a criminal case against others, not yet arrested? Who knows.
If they are investigating the possibility of bringing more charges and/or charging more people, they'll need witnesses. It's much easier if a detective calls you, comes to your office or visits your home to refer him or her to your lawyer. The lawyer client privilege is the strongest secret keeper out there.
But then again ... maybe nuthin'll happen ... I hope you're right.
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