Rotorua teen prostitution ring: Clayton Fox and and Wikitoria Pepene sentenced

Clayton Fox and Wikitoria Pepene appear for sentencing on their involvement in a teen prostitution ring. Photo / Andrew Warner

The pimp in a Rotorua teen prostitution ring who had sex with and arranged clients for girls aged 13 and 14 has been jailed for eight years and five months.

One of Clayton Fox’s victims told the court she endured years of “self-hatred and disgust” as well as mental illness and panic attacks.

Fox’s lawyer, Annette Sykes, said his actions should not be diminished but asked the court to take into consideration that he grew up in Kawerau – a mill town that was then like a “single man’s camp”, known decades ago for having the one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world.

Fox, 49, appeared in the Rotorua District Court for sentencing today before Judge Glen Marshall after previously pleading guilty to 18 charges relating to supplying teens with methamphetamine and cannabis and using underage girls in his illegal prostitution ring.

Clayton Fox and Wikitoria Pepene appear in the Rotorua District Court for sentencing. Photo / Andrew Warner

Fox’s sexual and drug-related offending involved four teen victims – two were aged 13 and two were 14. A fifth girl was supplied methamphetamine but was not a victim of sexual offending.

Fox’s actions were described in court by Crown prosecutor Kris Bucher as “grooming and predatory”. The court heard the unlicensed prostitution business used an estimated 100 women and girls.

Fox appeared in the dock holding hands with his co-accused and partner, Wikitoria Pepene, 32.

Teen victim: ‘I endured the pain alone’

The teen who read her victim impact statement to the court was supported by her father and became emotional at times.

She said she was 13 the first time she came face-to-face with Fox and endured three years of grooming, constant messaging and feeling like she owed him something.

She said that when she was 16 she knew it wasn’t right but she wasn’t old enough to know it wasn’t her fault so she kept quiet about what was happening.

“I was drinking, smoking cigarettes and weed a lot before I was even old enough to get my licence. I pushed the thoughts and memories out of my mind every time they came up.”

She said this disconnected her from her mind and the world around her and she developed mental disorders she still suffered from.

“I lost friendships and bonds with my family because I was angry and suicidal and embarrassed and felt like I couldn’t speak up. For six years I endured the pain alone.”

She said she had many psychology appointments, which were continuing and might need extending.

“My best friend and my [family] have had to hold me multiple times the past couple of months while I cry and have panic attacks because the memories of what happened all keep coming back in waves.”

What Fox’s lawyer said

Sykes said she grew up in the same town as her client Fox and it was a place where you could go one of two ways.

She said while his actions couldn’t be excused, there was a “causal nexus” between his actions and background.

“I grew up in Kawerau but I don’t want to belabour that but people like me take one path and people take another path. I can say that the kind of lifestyles that were permissible during the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s in Kawerau were not conducive to creating healthy environments for young men and women. You had to fight to get out of there. Some of us succeeded in doing that. Mr Fox has never.”

She said Fox was homeless for almost six years and lived in third-world conditions in a container, where he had trouble surviving and even eating.

“I’m not asking Your Honour to excuse the conduct but I’m asking you as the [Section 27 Cultural Report] report highlights to see the causal nexus to explain the behaviours.”

She said Fox had written a letter of remorse and his “atrocious spelling” showed his poor literacy. But she said his letter was heartfelt and genuine.

She said he was the grandson of a paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa Ki Kawerau and his actions brought shame and embarrassment to the family. They had said they would be there for him when he left prison.

Taking into account all factors, Sykes asked for an end sentence of seven years and 10 months in jail.

What Fox did

Judge Marshall said Fox supplied four victims with drugs and sexually abused each of them more than once. Fox was more than 30 years older than his victims when the offending occurred.

Fox met one of the victims when she was 12. She would message him asking for cannabis. Two years later he asked her if she wanted to make money working for him as a prostitute.

He asked her to send him photos. He later drove her to a pool where they had sex.

Clayton Fox during a previous court appearance. Photo / Andrew Warner

He told another girl she could earn money being one of his prostitutes but would have to do an “interview” first, which involved having sex at a motel.

He gave another sexual abuse victim so much methamphetamine she spent most of the day on the floor looking for a lost earring.

He met another girl by selling drugs to her mother. Fox told the 13-year-old through an associate she could earn money and he would in return take some of it to provide security. Fox drove the teen to an older man’s property near Rotorua on four occasions, where she performed sexual services. The client paid her and Fox took some of the money.

Fox also drove her to a motel to meet another man. Fox and the teen began a consensual sexual relationship and they had sex three times.

The illegal Rotorua prostitution business

Judge Marshall said Fox estimated he had 100 different females working for the business. Fox and Pepene advertised their services through word-of-mouth and online.

Sex workers would generally give them 40 per cent of the earnings.

Pepene was sentenced on two drugs-related charges to three months’ imprisonment but will be released as she has already served about four months in custody since her arrest.

On the charge of running an illegal prostitution business, Judge Marshall elected not to fine her given her time in custody, and Pepene was discharged without conviction.

She was subject to release conditions including taking part in drug and alcohol programmes and not associating with Fox without permission.

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.