The former senior pastor at North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship church in Plano, Terren Lee Dames, was taken into custody May 2.

Two counties are trying to gather enough signatures to make brothels illegal. If successful, the measures would be on the ballot in November and, if passed, would eliminate 40% of the state's brothels.

The site provided them with a sense of safety, independence, and control.

Craigslist has shut down its renowned “personals” section, which once featured ads titled “Hot days” and “Looking to fool around tonight”. Porn performers are complaining that Google Drive is no longer allowing them to share erotic videos with private clients. Microsoft has announced new rules banning “offensive language” from conversations on Skype and Xbox. And Reddit has closed sex industry discussion groups entitled “Escorts”, “Hookers”, and “SugarDaddy”.

In a bipartisan 388 to 25 vote, the House of Representatives approved legislation on Tuesday to make it easier for states to prosecute websites that facilitate prostitution and sex trafficking—including trafficking of underage girls. But critics say that the legislation, known as the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), could undermine a key legal protection for free speech online.

DailyMail.com reports that former lawmaker Rep. Jon Stanard,(R-Dist. 62), who resigned from his position on Tuesday citing "immediate personal and family concerns," met with a Salt Lake escort twice for sex. Stanard was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2012. He resides in St. George and is married with three children.

Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday signed legislation officially outlawing police having sex with prostitutes on duty by removing an exemption that previously blocked their prosecution. "Every day the brave men and women in Michigan's law enforcement community work tirelessly to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Michiganders," Snyder said. "These bills help ensure the ongoing integrity and accountability of our law enforcement system by clarifying what actions officers are exempt from while performing their official duties."

Amnesty International and The Economist are very different organisations, but they have reached similar conclusions on policies regarding sex markets. Last August, the International Council of Amnesty International decided to back the complete decriminalisation of prostitution. Decriminalising prostitution, they reasoned, would better protect the human rights of sex workers, and be better for the health and safety of all involved. The Amnesty’s International Council took care to declare opposition to criminalising sex work for both clients and for sex workers.

A federal appeals court has opened the door to legalising prostitution in California. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco recently allowed a legal challenge to the statewide ban on prostitution to proceed. The ruling overturns a lower court’s decision to toss the case out last year. During the Thursday hearing, conservative Judge Carlos Bea wondered aloud: “Why should it be illegal to sell something that it’s legal to give away?”

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