Married Couple Who Demonstrated Sex Techniques Convicted of Prostitution

Liberated Christians
Cyber Swing/Polyamory Resource Center
Promoting Intimacy and Other-Centered Sexuality

COPYRIGHTED 2001 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - MAY BE REPRINTED OR QUOTED FROM ONLY IF CREDIT IS GIVEN LIBERATED CHRISTIANS, MAILING ADDRESS IS SHOWN AND WE ARE SENT A COPY OF PUBLICATION.

"Married Couple Who Demonstrated Sex Techniques Convicted of Prostitution" (St. Louisans Tom and Suzi Wahl Conducted Seminar on Sex and Marriage)

ST. LOUIS - April 18, 2001 - Suzi Wahl jokingly noted that she is the only American woman convicted of prostitution for having sex with her own husband. If the notion seems preposterous, wait until you hear about the trial.

After an unprecedented three day trial, Suzi and TL Wahl, a married couple, were convicted of prostitution after they conducted one of their popular seminars on human sexuality. The St. Louisans were arrested and charged with prostitution last August after they conducted the seminar for police undercover agents in St. Louis County.

During that seminar the Wahls, married now for 17 years, discussed and demonstrated a variety of sexual techniques such as foreplay and oral sex. Undercover police, who posed as a curious couple, testified during the trial that there was never any physical contact between them and the Wahls. However, St. Louis County prosecutors argued that the couple "had sex for money" and therefore committed prostitution, because they charged their usual $200 fee.

In his closing arguments, the county prosecuting attorney evoked the ten commandments, telling the jurors that the Wahls should be judged according to Christian values. His comments took the Wahls by surprise, who later complained that government was forcing them to live by someone else's religious beliefs.

"I sat there with my freedom on the line,' Suzi Wahl said, "as the prosecutor told jurors that we should be judged according to the Bible." TL Wahl echoed his wife's feelings noting that, "The judge...allowed the prosecutor to use the prostitution statute to suppress a seminar of human sexuality."

It took a jury of 11 women and 1 man nearly 4 hours to deliver the guilty verdict to Judge Michael Jamison.