Crackdown on prostitution targets clients

By Tim Castle

LONDON (Reuters) - Men using prostitutes face prosecution under plans to curb human trafficking, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Wednesday.

The proposals would make it illegal to pay for sex with a prostitute who is controlled by a pimp or trafficker.

Paying for consensual sex would remain legal, but a prostitute-support group said the plans could make life more dangerous for the women by scaring away safer clients.

Smith told Sky News she wanted to change the law to protect vulnerable women by reducing the demand for paid-for sex.

"I hope that men will think twice about the fact that probably the majority of women in prostitution ... are effectively as good as slaves," she said.

"If you are paying for that, you are part of the problem."

She said men faced a fine of up to 1,000 pounds and a criminal record if found guilty.

Ignorance of a prostitute's dependency would not be a defence. Clients would face prosecution even if they paid for sex believing a woman was operating independently, when that was later shown to be incorrect.