Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Nye County becomes 2nd with petition to ban prostitution

Brothels in Crystal, Nev

Steve Marcus

An exterior view of the Dennis Hof’s Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nev. Dec. 20, 2017.

Brothels in Nye County

A sign gives direction to Dennis Hof's Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Dec. 20, 2017. Launch slideshow »

PAHRUMP — A group of southern Nevada residents is working on a petition to ask voters in Nye County this year to repeal the local law allowing legal prostitution.

The petition filed in Nye County follows a similar petition filed in northern Nevada's Lyon County this month also pushing to end prostitution there.

Nye and Lyon are among the seven rural Nevada counties where prostitution is legal.

Residents in Nye and Lyon have joined forces in a group called No Little Girl and contend that "no little girl wants to grow up to be a prostitute."

The group has until June 29 to gather signatures for the effort in Nye County.

Dennis Hof, who operates two brothels in Nye County, said banning prostitution will force it underground and cause disease rates and illegal activity to spike.