Illegal sex and brothel raids: Inside the darkside of Ipswich’s prostitution trade
From a mum who prostituted out underage girls to a couple who turned their suburban house into an illegal brothel, see the list of unlawful sex criminals who have contributed to Ipswich’s underground sex trade.
Ipswich
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Following a dramatic increase in illegal prostitution across the state, the Queensland Times has investigated the underground sex trade in Ipswich and where people have been busted on prostitution offences
Queensland crime statistics show there has been an increase of illegal prostitution, with cases up from just one in September 2020 to 37 in September 2021, under the category of Knowingly Participate in Provision Prostitution.
Earlier this year the Queensland Government moved to totally decriminalise prostitution and the matter was referred to the Queensland Law Reform Commission.
The review was tasked to investigate implementing new laws to improve health, safety, human rights and legal protections for sex workers in Queensland.
Currently sex workers cannot operate in pairs, check in with a colleague before or after calls, work with another person providing them security, or employ another person to screen or book clients.
Feedback shows the criminalisation of these things can have a negative effect on the safety of sex workers, who are sometimes forced between working legally or safely.
There are currently only 20 legal brothels operating across Queensland, 15 of which are in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but it’s suggested there are far more illegal brothels operating across the state.
The closest legal brothel to Ipswich is Sky Angel at Sumner Park.
Police raids and undercover operations have led to the arrests of several people for prostitution related offences across the Ipswich region.
According to a Queensland Police crime map there have been nine offences relating to prostitution in the Ipswich police district in the two years to December 2021.
Here are eight people who have faced Ipswich Magistrate and District Court on prostitution offences in recent years.
CONVICTED
Mum jailed for prostituting out underage girls
Corrina Ann Crabb, then 32, was sentenced in the Ipswich District Court in 2014 for prostituting out five underage girls over a period of five years.
Crabb was sentenced to 11 years after pleading guilty to charges including five of procuring prostitution of a young person and more than 40 counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.
Crabb, a mother-of-two, befriended the five girls, one as young as 14, and groomed them to engage in prostitution.
While none of the girls were physically threatened, victim impact statements tendered to the court said they felt pressured into sleeping with the clients.
The court heard, despite knowing they were underage, Crabb told the male clients the girls were over 18.
Crabb, who was also prostituting herself at the time, introduced the girls to sexual acts by making them watch her with clients and then pressuring them into performing acts with and later without her.
She used internet and telephone services as well as her own Facebook page to advertise the girls and to hire them out to clients.
Crabb, who had already spent more than two years behind bars on the charges, was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Crabb successfully appealed the sentence later in 2014 and the sentence was reduced to nine years with parole eligibility in November that year.
CONVICTIONS NOT RECORDED
Sex worker busted twice in undercover Covid safety checks
Hanying Mao was sentenced in 2020 after she was caught breaching Covid-19 restrictions during an undercover police sting to ensure massage providers were complying with new health regulations.
Mao was busted by police in both Ipswich and the Brisbane suburb of Belmont and faced the Ipswich Magistrates Court in September last year.
Then-53, she pleaded guilty to knowingly participating in the provision of prostitution services at Ipswich on July 28 and in Belmont on May 29; and to two separate charges of being in possession of tainted property.
Her Ipswich offending was discovered when the police prostitution task force went to the online site Escorts and Babes as part of an investigation into compliance.
An undercover Detective went to a room at Ipswich City Motel and met Mao, who quoted a full price list but the officer commented that she was different to the woman depicted in the advertising photo.
“She admits providing adult sex services arranged by a friend, who messaged her the client details, and to expect the client at a certain time,” police prosecutor Paul Caldwell said.
“Two mobile phones were in the room. And $330 in Australian currency was found hidden between the pages of a Bible.”
Mao was fined $2664 for the Covid regulation breaches and fined a further $1200 in court.
No conviction was recorded against the Chinese national and $2220 cash and mobile phones were forfeited.
Two busted in undercover prostitution sting
Two women were busted in an undercover police sting targeting prostitution at an Ipswich massage parlour last year.
The Ipswich Magistrates Court heard a Detective posed as a client at Angels Massage parlour and was offered sex when he told a worker the massage was his “birthday treat”.
Undercover officers went to the massage parlour on Brisbane Road on July 28 and asked about additional service and were given prices for sexual services.
Two women were then arrested and charged.
Wai Kwan Pun, 54, pleaded guilty to knowingly participating in the provision of prostitution services by another at Ipswich on July 28; and possession of tainted property including $690 in Australian currency and three mobile phones.
Jing Zhang, 48, pleaded guilty to knowingly participating in the provision of prostitution services by another at Ipswich between July 14 and July 28; and possession of tainted property of $60 in Australian currency and a mobile phone.
Pun was fined $800 with no conviction recorded.
Zhang was fined $300 with no conviction recorded.
In both cases the prostitution earnings were forfeited.
Massage owner rubs undercover cop the wrong way
A massage business owner who grabbed at the crotch of an undercover cop while offering an illegal sex service was sentenced in August last year.
Hang Wong, then 52, faced Ipswich Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to three charges, including that she had a business interest in premises used for prostitution; published an advertisement for prostitution on January 24; and knowingly carried on the business of unlawful prostitution at Pink Clouds, East Ipswich on February 14.
Wong was the operator of Pink Clouds at East Ipswich when a police officer entered on Valentine’s Day last year and asked for a legitimate massage, costing $50.
The court heard the undercover officer was given a hand gesture indicating that he could have an additional sex act performed for a fee of $200, and the woman then grabbed at his crotch.
Officers later arrived with a search warrant for an investigation into illegal prostitution and took Wong’s mobile phones.
Mr Ballard said text messages were downloaded that had been exchanged between numerous people about providing massages.
The court heard Pink Clouds provided legitimate massage services, in addition to sexual services.
Wong was fined $1500 and no convictions were recorded.
Cop poses as client in Ipswich prostitution sting
Chunru Xu, 42, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court last year to knowingly participating in the provision of prostitution at Pink Clouds in East Ipswich.
She was arrested alongside Hang Wong during the Valentine’s Day sting at the massage parlour.
The court heard Xu attempted to grab a police officer on the crotch, before several police officers then entered the building and located the two women.
Magistrate David Shepherd noted that Xu spoke no English and had been employed by a person who spoke her language to provide sexual services.
“Arrangements were made by a person to an undercover police officer to receive those services,” he said.
“You knew nothing about the illegality about that. It is apparent you were not the organiser but a mere participant in conduct you had not believed to be illegal.”
Xu was placed on a $500 good behaviour bond for four months with no conviction recorded.
Comings and goings led to crackdown on backyard hookers
A watchful neighbour who saw the frequent comings and goings of men at an Ipswich house told police, which led to a man and woman being busted for illegal prostitution offences.
Police raided the East Ipswich house and laid charges for illegal prostitution, including a charge of offering sex without the use of condoms.
More than 30 mobile phones and thousands of dollars in cash were seized.
Businessman Robert Paul Dawson, 36, and Ms Chin Yi Lai, 20, a student, pleaded guilty to knowingly carry on the business of providing unlawful prostitution in November 2017 and obtaining prostitution involving sexual intercourse or oral sex without using a prophylactic.
Dawson also pleaded guilty to possession of restricted weapon – a billy club.
The Ipswich Magistrates Court heard two sex workers involved had fled overseas after the raid.
Taking into account that Dawson has lived in Australia for eight years, Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said it was not as though he had just stepped off a plane, and he would have known prostitution in Queensland was regulated and required a licence.
Dawson was fined $1500 and Lai $1200.
Convictions were not recorded.
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