21-6421. Buying sexual relations. (a) Buying sexual relations is knowingly:

(1) Entering or remaining in a place where sexual relations are being sold or offered for sale with intent to engage in manual or other bodily contact stimulation of the genitals of any person with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of the offender or another, sexual intercourse, sodomy or any unlawful sexual act with a person selling sexual relations who is 18 years of age or older; or

(2) hiring a person selling sexual relations who is 18 years of age or older to engage in manual or other bodily contact stimulation of the genitals of any person with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of the offender or another, sexual intercourse, sodomy or any unlawful sexual act.

(b) (1) Buying sexual relations is a:

(A) Class A person misdemeanor, except as provided in subsection (b)(1)(B); and

(B) severity level 9, person felony when committed by a person who has, prior to the commission of the crime, been convicted of a violation of this section, or any prior version of this section.

(2) In addition to any other sentence imposed, a person convicted under this section shall be fined not less than $1,200 nor more than $5,000. One-half of all fines collected pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the human trafficking victim assistance fund created by K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 75-758, and amendments thereto, and the remainder shall be remitted as otherwise provided by law.

(3) In addition to any other sentence imposed, for any conviction under this section, the court may order the person convicted to enter into and complete a suitable educational or treatment program regarding commercial sexual exploitation.

(c) For the purpose of determining whether a conviction is a first, second or subsequent conviction in sentencing under this section:

(1) Convictions for a violation of this section, or any prior version of this section, or a violation of an ordinance of any city or resolution of any county which prohibits the acts that this section prohibits, or entering into a diversion agreement in lieu of further criminal proceedings on a complaint alleging any such violations, shall be taken into account; and

(2) a person may enter into a diversion agreement in lieu of further criminal proceedings for a violation of this section or an ordinance which prohibits the acts of this section only once during the person's lifetime.

(d) (1) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as preventing any city from enacting ordinances, or any county from adopting resolutions, declaring acts prohibited or made unlawful by this act as unlawful or prohibited in such city or county and prescribing penalties for violation thereof.

(2) The minimum penalty prescribed by any such ordinance or resolution shall not be less than the minimum penalty prescribed by this section for the same violation, and the maximum penalty in any such ordinance or resolution shall not exceed the maximum penalty prescribed for the same violation.

History: L. 2010, ch. 136, § 231; L. 2013, ch. 120, § 18; L. 2014, ch. 28, § 3; L. 2017, ch. 78, § 13; July 1.