Investigation reveals 62 establishments in Adelaide that provide a sexual service

There are renewed calls for sex work to be legalised following an investigation revealing more than 60 establishments offering sexual services – with 10 in a leafy eastern council.

MORE than 60 establishments in the greater Adelaide area are offering sexual ser­vices, sparking renewed calls for sex work to be legalised.

A Messenger investi­gation, with assistance from Greens MP Tammy Franks’s office, found 62 establishments following a search of websites, forums, social media and ­advertisements.

Ms Franks’s office began collating details of suspected brothels, and other establishments thought to offer sexual services, in 2019.

The newly updated list includes 10 establishments in Norwood, Payneham & St Peters, nine in Adelaide City Council, and eight in Charles Sturt. There were three along Goodwood Rd in Goodwood.

Under current state law, operating a brothel attracts a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment.

Ms Franks will introduce a revised decriminalisation bill after the 2022 election.

Adelaide woman “Mary”, who has worked in the sex industry for more than 30 years and assisted The Messenger with its search, said 62 was a “conservative” estimate.

“I would say there’s s...loads more,” Mary said, with establishments routinely closing then popping up in a different location.

She said it was hard to arrive at a specific number because of the unregulated nature of the industry and operators’ fear of police prosecution. The number of massage parlours that offered sexual services had “flourished” in recent years, Mary added.

A sex industry veteran of more than 30 years told The Messenger 62 establishments would be a “conservative” estimate. Picture: File.

The last attempt to decriminalise sex work was lost by six votes in November 2019.

Ms Franks’s Repeal of Sex Work Offences Bill, which would abolish prostitution offences, is being assessed by an upper house committee. She said the law as it stood was ­“archaic” and “out of step with community expectations”, and needed to be debated and updated with a code of practice for operators.

Greens MP Tammy Franks was not surprised a Messenger investigation discovered more than 60 establishments thought to offer sexual services. Picture: Mike Burton

“People are aware that commercial and consensual sex between adults goes on and police shouldn’t be wasting their time policing that,” she said. “We know these things go on and most people don’t have a problem with it. I think the majority of South Australians believe those who work in the industry should have the protection of the police.”

Ms Franks said “criminalising what are in effect small businesses providing a service there is demand for seems to be a strange use of police resources in 2021”.

The general manager of sex worker support body SIN, Kat Morrison, said “whether there are 62 or six sex industry establishments”, sex workers needed rights and recognition.

“Criminalisation creates barriers for sex workers to report crimes against us,” she said.

“There are no industrial protections ... and it means the police are both our protectors and prosecutors.”