I just don't get how people can be so fucking stupid. You'd think someone with that kind of professional success would be a little more cognizant of the risks involved even if morality was no issue.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/42161257/ns/sports-other_sports/
QuoteN.H. sports reporter convicted of running prostitution ring
Award-winner Provencher faces up to 2 1/2 years in prison
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updated 10:29 p.m. ET March 18, 2011
SALEM, Mass. - A veteran New Hampshire sports reporter pleaded guilty Friday to running a prostitution business in Massachusetts featuring women who had auditioned for him and to intimidating a witness in an effort to prevent her from testifying against him.
Kevin Provencher was immediately sentenced to state prison on two counts of deriving support from a prostitute, two counts of procuring a person into prostitution, two counts of solicitation for prostitution and one count of witness intimidation, prosecutors said. Each charge carries a penalty ranging from one to 2 1/2 years in prison. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
Provencher was fined $5,000 and placed on probation for one year after his release. He also was ordered to have no contact with the women who worked for him as prostitutes and to forfeit a computer seized by police, according to a statement released by the Essex County District Attorney's Office.
Assistant District Attorney Melissa Woodard said in court that prosecutors had enough evidence to prove that Provencher, 52, set up a website soliciting women to work for an escort service he had established, claiming it was run by women. Two women who responded had sex with him before he hired them, she said.
Provencher, of Manchester, N.H., advertised prostitution services on Craigslist and other websites, prosecutors said.
He performed background checks on prospective customers to make sure they weren't police officers, then would rent hotel rooms and provide the women with contact information for the clients. At the end of the day, the women would give Provencher half the money they earned or would deposit it an account he set up, prosecutors said.
The scheme unraveled about a year later after managers at the Marriott Hotel in Andover, Mass., became suspicious and alerted police, prosecutors said.
Provencher was initially arrested in July 2009 on two counts of deriving support from a prostitute. Prosecutors added witness-intimidation and other charges after he told the women who worked for him as prostitutes that his lawyer would "tear them apart" in the media if they spoke to police.
Provencher worked for the New Hampshire Union Leader for 23 years. He no longer works there.
He could not be reached for comment Friday. It was unclear who his legal representation was.
Provencher has won four New Hampshire Sportswriter of the Year awards from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
If risk taking was a sign of stupidity, people like Gates, Ford and Kamprad must be drooling morons.
Maybe being a somewhat successful sports writer in New Hampshire isn't all it's cranked up to be.
Yeah, his award sounds kind of like "Employee of the Month".
Pretty shitty law to have this as a crime.
Unless I had been told otherwise, this story might almost lead me to believe that a journalist's job is not too onerous, and leaves time for various other activities. :hmm:
Quote from: Martinus on March 19, 2011, 02:18:07 PM
Pretty shitty law to have this as a crime.
Stand down, soldier. They weren't gay.
Quote from: derspiess on March 19, 2011, 05:25:34 PM
Quote from: Martinus on March 19, 2011, 02:18:07 PM
Pretty shitty law to have this as a crime.
Stand down, soldier. They weren't gay.
He likes it when pimps choke a bitch.
You know, lots of people will say that prostitution should be legalized, but there's not that many outside of the rap music industry that will speak up in favor of pimping.
EDIT: or perhaps Marty has mis-read the thread and thinks that it's saying that it's a crime to be an award-winning sports reporter in New Hampshire.
What sports are there to cover in NH anyways?
I'm sure Dartmouth has a crew team.
Quote from: dps on March 19, 2011, 05:42:53 PM
You know, lots of people will say that prostitution should be legalized, but there's not that many outside of the rap music industry that will speak up in favor of pimping.
As long as there isn't any coercion I don't have a problem with pimping.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2011, 07:32:17 PM
Quote from: dps on March 19, 2011, 05:42:53 PM
You know, lots of people will say that prostitution should be legalized, but there's not that many outside of the rap music industry that will speak up in favor of pimping.
As long as there isn't any coercion I don't have a problem with pimping.
Would you have a problem with having sex with 12 year olds as long as there's no coercion involved?
:zzz
Just wondering where you draw the line.
Quote from: katmai on March 19, 2011, 05:45:22 PM
What sports are there to cover in NH anyways?
They cover all the Boston teams.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2011, 07:32:17 PM
Quote from: dps on March 19, 2011, 05:42:53 PM
You know, lots of people will say that prostitution should be legalized, but there's not that many outside of the rap music industry that will speak up in favor of pimping.
As long as there isn't any coercion I don't have a problem with pimping.
My point exactly. I get paid about 30-40% of what I earn for my firm, if you tally up my billable hours and multiply it by my hourly rate. These women got 50%. If one does not have a problem with selling sex, per se, I don't see where the problem is, unless we are dealing with coercion as you said - but then it's no different whether there is a coercion to sell sex or pick cotton - slavery is slavery and is rightly banned.
Quote from: Martinus on March 20, 2011, 03:10:49 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2011, 07:32:17 PM
Quote from: dps on March 19, 2011, 05:42:53 PM
You know, lots of people will say that prostitution should be legalized, but there's not that many outside of the rap music industry that will speak up in favor of pimping.
As long as there isn't any coercion I don't have a problem with pimping.
My point exactly. I get paid about 30-40% of what I earn for my firm, if you tally up my billable hours and multiply it by my hourly rate. These women got 50%. If one does not have a problem with selling sex, per se, I don't see where the problem is, unless we are dealing with coercion as you said - but then it's no different whether there is a coercion to sell sex or pick cotton - slavery is slavery and is rightly banned.
I will agree that there's no problem with the concept of an intermediary per se, but I suspect you'll find the relationship an abusive one more often than not even when it's not physically so.
I don't know. I think a lot of abusiveness in prostitution businesses comes from the fact that activity is illegal and thus there is no state supervision and an element of blackmail involved.
I mean, without state intervention, there was much more abuse in 19th century Manchester textile factory child labour than there is in today's prostitution in civilized Western countries, yet noone claims that a factory owner-factory worker relationship is by nature abusive.
Regulate the business, let the "public" light into the dark, set some sort of "prostitute charter" setting out the rights of sex workers (e.g. medical checks, medical care access/insurance, safe sex only, right to refuse a specific customer etc.) and I can't see why this would need to be abusive.
Quote from: Martinus on March 20, 2011, 03:25:56 AM
I mean, without state intervention, there was much more abuse in 19th century Manchester textile factory child labour than there is in today's prostitution in civilized Western countries, yet noone claims that a factory owner-factory worker relationship is by nature abusive.
Not today, no. :hmm:
But yeah, I see your point.
Quote from: Martinus on March 20, 2011, 03:25:56 AM
I don't know. I think a lot of abusiveness in prostitution businesses comes from the fact that activity is illegal and thus there is no state supervision and an element of blackmail involved.
I mean, without state intervention, there was much more abuse in 19th century Manchester textile factory child labour than there is in today's prostitution in civilized Western countries, yet noone claims that a factory owner-factory worker relationship is by nature abusive.
Regulate the business, let the "public" light into the dark, set some sort of "prostitute charter" setting out the rights of sex workers (e.g. medical checks, medical care access/insurance, safe sex only, right to refuse a specific customer etc.) and I can't see why this would need to be abusive.
The thing is, if prostitution was legal, there's not really a reason that hookers would need a pimp in the first place.
Legalize prostitution! Make sports reporting illegal.
There, everyone is happy now.
Quote from: dps on March 20, 2011, 04:57:07 AMThe thing is, if prostitution was legal, there's not really a reason that hookers would need a pimp in the first place.
Yeah, they'd either be agents - to get you access to the better clients (bunga bunga parties) or bouncers - to help you deal with the occasional troublesome client.
If you operate on the bordello model you need a bordello owner.
Quote from: Jacob on March 20, 2011, 02:08:51 PM
Quote from: dps on March 20, 2011, 04:57:07 AMThe thing is, if prostitution was legal, there's not really a reason that hookers would need a pimp in the first place.
Yeah, they'd either be agents - to get you access to the better clients (bunga bunga parties) or bouncers - to help you deal with the occasional troublesome client.
What's the difference between an agent and a pimp in this story? I just cant see a material financial difference. And if you look at Hollywood model agents then other than with respect to really big stars, they act like pimps with a stable of whores, for whom they negotiate contracts, collect money, deduct commission and make sure their whores get paid.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 20, 2011, 02:10:42 PM
If you operate on the bordello model you need a bordello owner.
I think Jacob is confused. A pimp - like the guy in the story - acts exactly like an agent.
Quote from: Martinus on March 20, 2011, 05:11:33 PM
I think Jacob is confused. A pimp - like the guy in the story - acts exactly like an agent.
Jacob, you, and I are all essentially agreeing that in the absence of coercion the functions of a pimp are benign and value-adding. I was responding to his post about agents by pointing out that there are additional value-adding functions a pimp can provide.
My stable o' bitches know better than to hold out. Daddy'll cut ya.