The transaction has to be reasonable in the mind of the court. $250.00 for a pencil would not be seen as reasonable for the court. The amount paid has to be reasonable for the product received, or the court will see it as just what it is a smoke screen and that the money paid was in fact for sex.
Originally Posted by dirty dog
Exactly. People always think that the court is hamstrung by petty rules and the "letter of the law". I'm sure there are many cases where this is true, but I also think that most if it comes from TV and movies where the drama is the most important thing.
No judge would be fooled by the $250 condom or the $500 pencil or "money is for spending time together as consenting adults". This is why it is so ludicrous for people to talk about "cups of coffee" or "roses" or rates like "$$.4". You aren't fooling anyone, and you can still be arrested for offering sex for "250 smiles".