Idaho committee holds bill that would make paying for commercial sex a felony at first offense

Representative Britt Raybould urged the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee to approve House Bill 88, a measure that would remove a misdemeanor tier from Idaho’s commercial-solicitation law and make solicitation of commercial sexual activity a felony from the first offense.

“...we are essentially going to take the position that it is not acceptable, whether it's the first time, the second time, or the third time,” Representative Britt Raybould said, explaining the bill was meant to “adopt that felony mindset.” She told senators the change traces to a 2023 attorney general human-trafficking report and that prosecutors often find such cases difficult to prove.

The bill’s sponsor described the criminal penalty by reference to Idaho Code 18-112,…