Seven-time champion Thomas Dold of Germany is going for his eighth victory in a row.

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Sean Duffy of Wisconsin, Bob Dold of Illinois and Mike Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania -- all representing districts Democrats are targeting in November -- also attended.

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"Across the country there's been this awakening that children shouldn't be prosecuted for prostitution-related offenses, " said James Dold, senior policy counsel at the Polaris Project.

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This is scant comfort for Mr Dold, however, who has fallen foul of the existing rules which are almost Russian in their mix of detail and ambiguity.

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