California student's viginity auction hits US$3.7 million

[Bob The Skutter]

^I sincerely hope the case never made it in front of a judge.

I don't remember, but I seem to remember she was on GMTV or something. I don't think it did, but I'm not sure.

From BBC News
A lesbian university student who auctioned her virginity on the internet to pay for her studies is reported to have had sex with the highest bidder.
Rosie Reid, 18, from London, slept with a 44-year-old BT engineer in a hotel room in Euston after he paid her £8,400, the News of the World reports.
But she told the newspaper: "It was horrible... I felt nervous and scared."

She hatched the plan to avoid graduating with debts of £15,000 from her Bristol University degree course.

'Uncomfortable'

Ms Reid, from Dulwich, had sex with the divorced father-of-two after he gave her a banker's draft, according to the News of the World.
Her partner, Jess Cameron, stayed in the same hotel while she went through with the act nearly three weeks ago.
She told the newspaper: "I felt obliged... to please him as he had just paid all this money."
But she added: "It didn't feel like it was happening to me. I felt like I was watching it happen to someone else.
"I was just so relieved when it was over... I was desperate to get back to Jess as I felt so uncomfortable."
The next morning she said she joined her partner and they "just cried and cried".

It doesn't say anything about her suing, but I'm sure that was reported later.
Actually, thinking about it, maybe that was just a suggestion made rather than her actually doing it.

 

[Hermiod]

^To be quite frank here, my only reaction is boo fracking hoo. I had debts too when I was a student. I paid them off by getting a job.

Whatever your sexuality, if having sex with someone you aren't attracted to is so horrific an experience, don't charge someone £15,000 for it.

My advice to that divorced father of two would have been to phone up an escort agency and pay a lot less for someone who knows what she's doing, won't go on GMTV to talk about it afterwards and won't find having consensual sex with a man so traumatic.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^To be quite frank here, my only reaction is boo fracking hoo. I had debts too when I was a student. I paid them off by getting a job.

Whatever your sexuality, if having sex with someone you aren't attracted to is so horrific an experience, don't charge someone £15,000 for it.

My advice to that divorced father of two would have been to phone up an escort agency and pay a lot less for someone who knows what she's doingm, won't go on GMTV to talk about it afterwards and won't find having consensual sex with a man so traumatic.

I know, that was pretty much my reaction too. I don't get where any sympathy comes from for her really. She was the one who initiated it all, she made the decision, if it was a bad one it's all on her.

 

[Trekker4747]

In her defense, the guy could've been an ugly, fat, disgusting slob which would be traumatic for many.

 

[Hermiod]

In her defense, the guy could've been an ugly, fat, disgusting slob which would be traumatic for many.

Sure, but assuming he was, she still offered sex to the highest bidder. She could easily have said no and given him his money back. She made a choice. Sometimes the consequences of making a choice are unpleasant.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

In her defense, the guy could've been an ugly, fat, disgusting slob which would be traumatic for many.

How is that "in her defense" when the simple solution is to return the money or to be choosy with whose offer she accepts? If she was that repulsed she could have taken the next highest bidder until she found someone who was worthy of the sanctity of her auctioned-off virginity. I think she saw 'Pretty Woman' one too many times and was expecting Richard Gere to pull up in a Lotus.

 

[Trekker4747]

How is that "in her defense" when the simple solution is to return the money or to be choosy with whose offer she accepts? If she was that repulsed she could have taken the next highest bidder until she found someone who was worthy of the sanctity of her auctioned-off virginity.

Virginty Auctioning-Off Integrity?

I dunno, just playing a bit of devil's advocate.

 

[Jono]

$3.7 million...I wish I had so much money that I could waste $3.7 million to take someone virginity. I wouldn't, but knowing that I could afford it would feel nice.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

How is that "in her defense" when the simple solution is to return the money or to be choosy with whose offer she accepts? If she was that repulsed she could have taken the next highest bidder until she found someone who was worthy of the sanctity of her auctioned-off virginity.

Virginty Auctioning-Off Integrity?

 

[Roger Wilco]

Why would anyone pay so much money to have sex with a virgin? If I ever felt like going to a prostitute, I'd want her to know what the fuck she's doing, and not pay a fortune to have awkward sex with some teenager who's probably just lying on the bed like a fish taken out of the water anyway. Otherwise what's the point of spending money for sex?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I guess the ones who are going to do it in a legal brothel are exempt from this question, but why are none of these women ever charged with prostitution? I mean how is auctioning off sex any better than selling it on the street?

 

[Hermiod]

I guess the ones who are going to do it in a legal brothel are exempt from this question, but why are none of these women ever charged with prostitution? I mean how is auctioning off sex any better than selling it on the street?

That's to do with the ever complicated issue of what parts of prostitution are actually illegal in this country.

If a man buys his wife some jewelry and she's so pleased with it that she gives him a blow job, is that prostitution ?

In England and Wales the following things are illegal:

* A "common prostitute" may not loiter or solicit in a public place. This effectively makes street prostitution illegal.

* Persistently seeking to solicit sexual services for money. There is also a specific law against doing so from within a motor vehicle.

* Running a brothel.

* Any form of sexual services provided by an individual under the age of 18.

* "Controlling" a prostitute for gain. This effectively makes pimping illegal.

There is nothing there to say that an individual adult cannot sell sexual services for money or buy sexual services with money as long as they do not perform the act of buying or selling in public.

Ultimately, anyone doing this can simply use the standard escort agency excuse that clients pay for the escort's time and that anything that happens between them during that time is entirely a between them as private adults.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I guess the ones who are going to do it in a legal brothel are exempt from this question, but why are none of these women ever charged with prostitution? I mean how is auctioning off sex any better than selling it on the street?

That's to do with the ever complicated issue of what parts of prostitution are actually illegal in this country.

If a man buys his wife some jewelry and she's so pleased with it that she gives him a blow job, is that prostitution ?

In England and Wales the following things are illegal:

* A "common prostitute" may not loiter or solicit in a public place. This effectively makes street prostitution illegal.

* Persistently seeking to solicit sexual services for money. There is also a specific law against doing so from within a motor vehicle.

* Running a brothel.

* Any form of sexual services provided by an individual under the age of 18.

* "Controlling" a prostitute for gain. This effectively makes pimping illegal.

There is nothing there to say that an individual adult cannot sell sexual services for money or buy sexual services with money as long as they do not perform the act of buying or selling in public.

Ultimately, anyone doing this can simply use the standard escort agency excuse that clients pay for the escort's time and that anything that happens between them during that time is entirely a between them as private adults.

Didn't they recently legalise "small brothels" containing 3 people with no more than 2 prostitutes, and 1 manager/security? I seem to remember they did, but maybe it was just some trial thing.
I know it's not technically illegal in this country, but surely selling on a public auction site constitutes selling it in public?

 

[Hermiod]

Didn't they recently legalise "small brothels" containing 3 people with no more than 2 prostitutes, and 1 manager/security? I seem to remember they did, but maybe it was just some trial thing.
I know it's not technically illegal in this country, but surely selling on a public auction site constitutes selling it in public?

I suspect it was just a trial. I doubt such a thing would get past Jacqui Smith and Harriet Harperson.

I believe "public place" means a physical place and not an Internet site.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Didn't they recently legalise "small brothels" containing 3 people with no more than 2 prostitutes, and 1 manager/security? I seem to remember they did, but maybe it was just some trial thing.
I know it's not technically illegal in this country, but surely selling on a public auction site constitutes selling it in public?

I suspect it was just a trial. I doubt such a thing would get past Jacqui Smith and Harriet Harperson.

I believe "public place" means a physical place and not an Internet site.

I guess nothing came of it.

From BBC News

The law could be changed to allow two prostitutes and a receptionist or maid to work together legally in brothels, the government has confirmed.
Currently only lone prostitutes can offer sex from flats or other premises without breaking the law.
Launching the new prostitution strategy for England and Wales, minister Fiona Mactaggart said that working in groups would be safer for women.
The Home Office plans also include tougher rules for men who buy sex.
Criminal gangs
The strategy also means more kerb-crawlers could lose their driving licences, while prostitutes would get help over drugs and housing.

I don't get that though, loosen the rules on women selling sex, but make them harder on men who buy sex... what?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Didn't they recently legalise "small brothels" containing 3 people with no more than 2 prostitutes, and 1 manager/security?

Good to hear. I much preferred the small town, neighborly type of prostitution common in the 50s before it sold out and became all corporate. There's nothing better than hearing "Thanks for the fifty bucks, Hank. See you at the PTA meeting."

 

[Hermiod]

I don't get that though, loosen the rules on women selling sex, but make them harder on men who buy sex... what?

I can see where they're coming from, because many of Britain's prostitutes aren't there willingly, but I really don't think they're helping the ones who are.

Unfortunately, as long as Harriet Harman has any influence over this I doubt we will ever see a solution that actually helps anyone except Harriet Harman.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I don't get that though, loosen the rules on women selling sex, but make them harder on men who buy sex... what?

I can see where they're coming from, because many of Britain's prostitutes aren't there willingly, but I really don't think they're helping the ones who are.

Unfortunately, as long as Harriet Harman has any influence over this I doubt we will ever see a solution that actually helps anyone except Harriet Harman.

Yeah, but what rules exactly on men buying sex? I mean if we're talking about protecting people from rape and abuse sure, but just being tough on guys because they bought sex makes no sense while loosening up the rules on prostitution.
I can't see Gordon going for it either. Shame really, I do think liberalising it is the only way to clean it up.

 

[Hermiod]

Yeah, but what rules exactly on men buying sex? I mean if we're talking about protecting people from rape and abuse sure, but just being tough on guys because they bought sex makes no sense while loosening up the rules on prostitution.

The idea is so that if a prostitute and a client are arrested, it's the client that gets in more serious trouble because they want to shift the criminal act more towards buying than selling. That's because they believe that not punishing prostitutes for things they may not have had much or any choice over will help them get out of prostitution entirely. That's not an unreasonable thing but I can see it backfiring.

The demand won't go down, so those who are still willing to pay for sex will end up going to trafficked women instead.

This, of course, ignores the fact that not all prostitutes in this country are female and not all clients are male.

I can't see Gordon going for it either. Shame really, I do think liberalising it is the only way to clean it up.

Gordon does what Jacqui and Harriet tell him to do.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Yeah, but what rules exactly on men buying sex? I mean if we're talking about protecting people from rape and abuse sure, but just being tough on guys because they bought sex makes no sense while loosening up the rules on prostitution.

The idea is so that if a prostitute and a client are arrested, it's the client that gets in more serious trouble because they want to shift the criminal act more towards buying than selling. That's because they believe that not punishing prostitutes for things they may not have had much or any choice over will help them get out of prostitution entirely. That's not an unreasonable thing but I can see it backfiring.

The demand won't go down, so those who are still willing to pay for sex will end up going to trafficked women instead.

This, of course, ignores the fact that not all prostitutes in this country are female and not all clients are male.

I see what you're saying, but if the act itself is not illegal then why does anyone need punishing?

I can't see Gordon going for it either. Shame really, I do think liberalising it is the only way to clean it up.

Gordon does what Jacqui and Harriet tell him to do.

He also seems to have his moral compass firmly set towards that anyway. I mean just look at his stance on drugs, order a review and then ignore their advice and did the opposite, because that's what his morals (or maybe just the tabloids) told him to do.