Is it a sin to put oneself deliberately in situations where one is likely to sin?
The short answer
A near occasion of sin is not itself a sin but a situation of temptation. Entering one without sufficient cause is imprudent but not always sinful. Entering it in the hope of sinning is already a sin, because sin begins in the will.
A near occasion of sin is not a sin; it is a situation in which one may be tempted. Putting oneself there without sufficient reason is imprudent, but not always sinful in itself.
If, however, one deliberately enters such a situation hoping to sin, one has already sinned by willing it. Sin begins with the will to sin.
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