Trial for man accused of employing under-age prostitutes

Lawyers for a 58-year-old man charged with employing under-age prostitutes at a brothel have decided not to contest a judge's ruling that the two girls did not need to give evidence at a depositions hearing.

The hearing had been adjourned for two weeks for counsel Gerald Lascelles and Kerry Cook to decide whether to seek a review of Christchurch District Court Judge John Bisphan's decision.

Mr Cook announced today that they would not seek the review and Judge Bisphan committed the man for trial and remanded him on bail to September 1 for a pre-trial conference.

The man was granted interim name suppression in the High Court until a week after the depositions, but Mr Cook said there would be a renewed application for suppression now that he had been sent for trial.

Judge Bisphan then agreed to continue the order to September 1, when it could be argued again.

The names of the girls, aged 14 and 16, the names of some Crown witnesses, and parts of the depositions evidence have also been suppressed.

The man had told the police he was the landlord and not the proprietor of the suburban brothel.

He faces charges involving commercial sexual services by the girls, drugs charges, and running a brothel without an operator's certificate.

- NZPA