A newspaper article used the above term in reference to prostitution. I cannot imagine any crime that is truly victimless, so it seems my notions of both "crime" and "victim" need updating. What can the rest of you offer?

I can't think of any crime as being "victimless" either. The victim may be the government (such as vandalism) or businesses, but there's always a victim. There surely is a victim in prostitution.

"Victimless crime" is generally used to refer to the defrauding of large institutions (such as insurance companies) of small amounts. The argument goes that nobody realy loses. The company will raise its premiums by a miniscule amount to its policy-holders, which they won't notice. It may also pay an infinitesimally smaller amount to its shareholders.

Prostititution isn't a crime per se in the UK, although I don't know the position in the USA. I know that Nevada, at least, has legalised brothels, subject to state controls, but otherwise it is illegal.

It is illegal here to procure (pimp) a prostitute, and it is against the law to solicit for sex. The oldest profession itself is not a crime provided the prostitute is above the age of consent and consents to the act. I think in most Western countries it is either legal and rigidly controlled, or the act itself is legal but the areas associated with it are not (brothels, brothel-keeping, soliciting, etc). I think about the only places where the act of prostition is a crime are mainly Muslim countries, where adultery is also a crime.

Well, I suppose I sounded pretty conservative above, you are right. In some states, yes, prostitution is legal. I don't really consider it a crime, but I do think the women are victims of societal problems. But I will keep an open mind about that.

From what I've read and seen, often the victim is the girl or woman, herself (or the male prostitute).

Prostitution isn't just about men and women having sex. It's about one person subjugating and objectifying another person, often paying off a third person in the process. Girls/women/young men are often trapped by financial, social, physical and emotional manipulation and abuse into continuing this lifestyle.

No one should have to live such an unsafe, unhealthy and demeaning life.