Under most state statutes, pandering is a criminal offense that includes (a) compelling a person to become a prostitute or (b) arranging or offering to arrange a situation in which a person may practice prostitution.
Regulations regarding pandering vary from state to state. Under California law compensation is not required. However, California law states that as long as the defendant intends a victim to become a prostitute, pandering is established regardless of the victim’s current status as a prostitute. Michigan law says that when a person is already a prostitute, a defendant cannot be convicted of pandering.
It is worth noting that the concept of pandering is different from pimping and soliciting.
[Last updated in August of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]
- wex