“I was sort of being in jest with that post, but it does beg the question. If a prostitute agrees to be paid after the fact, but then the John stiffs her (no pun intended), is it shoplifting, or is it sexual assault?”
If force or fear are involved, it is robbery.
One doesn’t necessarily pay a prostitute for sex, but one pays a prostitute to go away after the sex act is complete. Flowers didn’t pay, she didn’t go away, and now he’s in trouble.
On it's surface, a john enters a contract with a prostitute to pay for services rendered. The problem with viewing things as such, is that a contract for illegal acts is invalid and unenforceable. In a jurisdiction where prostitution is legal, I would think it would be both assault and theft of services. Where prostitution is illegal it would be only assault. JMHO.