Fox’s offending against a 13-year-old
The police’s summary of facts said Fox knew the 13-year-old through another person he sold methamphetamine.
Fox talked to the girl about how she could get started in the prostitution business including how to write an advertisement, what website to post it on, how to stay safe and what prices she should charge for services offered.
The girl used this information to post an advertisement online under a pseudonym, claiming to be aged 18. Through this website, she began to provide commercial sex services.
The 13-year-old and Fox later began a sexual relationship and had sex on three occasions.
Fox supplied the teen with cannabis and methamphetamine, which was administered through an injection, the summary said.
Fox’s offending against a 14-year-old
Fox met a 14-year-old girl when she came to Rotorua, the police summary said.
The girl sent Fox a text message saying “… I wanna work for you”.
Fox agreed to pick up the teen and drove her out of Rotorua. They discussed prostitution work and he provided her methamphetamine on that occasion.
Fox and Pepene’s offending against a 16-year-old
The court documents showed a 16-year-old girl Fox knew text messaged him asking what he was up to.
Texts obtained by the police and revealed in the summary said Fox replied: “Im [sic] just having a tap. U ready?”
The teen replied: “alg [sic] to come for a puff with you and ill chuck you$20 or sumn?”
Fox met the girl at a motel room and later in the night arranged for a client to meet the teen for an hour for commercial sex services.
Pepene messaged the teen when the hour was up to let her know.
The client asked for more time and the teen messaged Fox to let him know about the extra time and the amount, the summary said.
The teen gave Fox a cut of the earnings. Fox also gave the teen methamphetamine, the summary said.
Drug offending
Police searches of the couple’s phones showed the couple were dealing methamphetamine and cannabis.
Among the several text messages was one that said: “One of the bros after a half he’s got 200″, and “Hey my mum’s afta a half $150 she’s just near A.T.M. She said she can come to you.”
The summary said one of the messages from Fox said: “I got a oz [sic] of green to trade for a half if you can plz? I need something to work wif till our stuff gets in sometime today.”
Pepene’s texts revealed she was involved with one saying: “Is her mum after a bag.. don’t I got any stuff on me [sic]. It’s same stuff isn’t an money’s going 2.da same place”.
Illegal prostitution business
The police summary said the couple had been together 10 years, running a prostitution business in Rotorua. Fox estimated 100 different females had worked for them for various periods over the decade.
Fox and Pepene determined where and when sex workers would work, and how much they would be paid for prostitution. In general terms, the couple took a 40 per cent cut for security work.
The pair do not have an operators’ certificate under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003.
Police arrest the couple
On October 4, police stopped Fox and Pepene driving on Pukuatua St near the intersection with Tutanekai St in Rotorua. Police searching Fox’s vehicle found a gram of cannabis plant and a switchblade knife.
The summary said Fox and Pepene admitted to being habitual methamphetamine users who injected the drug intravenously. On average they consumed a gram a day, they told police at the time.
The summary said Fox told police he sold drugs to make a little money but he was not “slinging kilos or ounces”, he was just “getting by”.
Asked about the sexual offending, Fox said he thought the victims were of age because they were not virgins and he just helped them get started by “teaching them the ways”.
Pepene initially told police she supplied the girls with cannabis and methamphetamine but was not involved in helping them provide commercial sexual services.
Both have been remanded in custody to reappear in court for sentencing on February 14.
The charges
Fox and Pepene admitted three joint charges:
- Receiving earnings from a person under the age of 18 to provide commercial sex services
- Possession of cannabis for supply;
- Possession of methamphetamine for supply.
Fox admitted 12 charges including:
- Two of assisting a person under the age of 18 to provide sex services;
- Sexual connection with a young person aged between 12 and 16;
- Two of selling cannabis;
- Three of supplying methamphetamine;
- Possession of a knife in a public place;
- Possession of cannabis plant;
- Failing to comply with a prohibition order while being an unlicensed driver;
- Operating a prostitution business without a certificate.
The maximum prison sentence for supplying methamphetamine is life, 10 years for sex with a young person, and seven years for assisting someone under 18 to provide sex services. The maximum fine for operating a sex service without a certificate is $1000.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
