Legal Definitions - whorehouse

A brothel, sometimes referred to as a "whorehouse," is an establishment specifically operated for the purpose of prostitution. It is a location where individuals offer sexual services in exchange for payment, typically under the management or control of a third party.

Here are some examples to illustrate this term:

• Example 1: Police Raid on an Illegal Operation

  Local police, acting on numerous anonymous tips and extensive surveillance, obtained a search warrant for a seemingly ordinary house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Upon executing the warrant, officers discovered several individuals providing sexual services for money, along with an individual who was managing the appointments, collecting payments, and overseeing the premises. This establishment was subsequently shut down and legally identified as a brothel or "whorehouse" due to its primary function as a place where commercial sex acts were regularly conducted.

• Example 2: Undercover Investigation into Human Trafficking

  An anti-human trafficking task force launched an investigation into a business advertised as a "spa" in a commercial district. Undercover agents found that the facility was not offering legitimate spa services but was instead forcing vulnerable individuals, often migrants, to provide sexual services to clients. The profits were funneled to the operators who controlled the victims' movements and finances. This establishment clearly functioned as a "whorehouse," exploiting individuals for commercial sex.

• Example 3: Historical Nuisance Lawsuit

  In a legal dispute from the late 19th century, a group of property owners filed a public nuisance lawsuit against a building operating openly in their town square. They argued that the establishment attracted undesirable activity, disturbed the peace, and negatively impacted property values due to the constant flow of patrons seeking paid sexual services. Court records and local newspaper accounts from the time frequently referred to this establishment as a "whorehouse," reflecting its widely recognized purpose as a place of prostitution.