KEY POINTS:
A 46-year-old man's venture into the sex industry has led to losses totalling $20,000 and now a two-year-three-month prison term.
The man and his wife faced the prospect of a mortgagee sale and the business leasing arrangements had become a burden, defence counsel Tony Garrett told Christchurch District Court at the man's sentencing today, the Christchurch Court News website reports.
"Expectations of making money in the industry all turned to custard," he said.
Judge Graeme Noble told the man he should be grateful to his family who have supported him throughout the process of going to trial on 10 charges under the Prostitution Reform Act.
The man was for sentence on seven charges, including two involving "training sessions" where he had sex with prostitutes at his suburban brothel. These women were aged 17, and were paid for the "training".
The man was charged with assisting and facilitating in the provision of commercial sexual services, receiving payment he knew was derived from commercial sexual services, and receiving commercial sexual services from the women himself.
Under the Act, persons under 18 years may not be involved in prostitution.
Mr Garrett said the women had willingly become involved in the sex industry and the man had used no coercion or deception.
Crown prosecutor Kathy Bell said the pre-sentence report showed the man was not accepting responsibility for his offending and that counted against home detention as a viable sentencing option.
Judge Noble said the charges related to three 17-year-old women. He found at the trial that the man knew one was under 18, was indifferent or reckless about the age of the second, but there was a "reasonable possibility" he might have thought the third was 18.
He did not accept the contention that the idea of sex as part of "training" was a norm within the industry.
"That demonstrates the high degree of manipulation by you, of young and vulnerable women," said the judge.
Only one of the three women had provided a victim impact statement for sentencing. Mr Garrett said that indicated the ambivalence of the victims, but Judge Noble said it was not surprising in such cases.
He noted the man had previous convictions for dishonesty, an assault, driving offences, and cultivating cannabis.
"The pre-sentence report makes disturbing reading. You are in denial and you shift the blame on to the complainants and the police."
He jailed the man for two years and three months and declined home detention.
The man is now a sales agent. His name and some other details remain suppressed. The reason for the suppression cannot be reported.
- NZPA
