Yanhong Zheng, Bian Chen, Shangqun Xie, Juan Zhang: Women sentenced after police sting uncovers illegal Ipswich brothels

Four women have been sentenced for prostitution-related crimes in Ipswich after police uncovered a number of illegal brothels.

Three sex workers and a brothel owner have faced sentence in an Ipswich court after police exposed their illegal operation.

Bian Chen, 36, from Booval, Shangqun Xie, 49, from Silkstone, and Juan Zhang, 31, from Sunnybank appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday February 18, each facing a single charge of engaging in prostitution through an unlawful prostitution business.

Redbank Plains woman Yanhong Zheng, 44, also appeared in court on a single charge of carrying on the business of providing unlawful prostitution.

All four women pleaded guilty to their charges.

The court heard Zheng purchased an Ipswich “massage business” in April or May last year and had since earned about $36,000 per year after rent and outgoing expenses.

Her barrister Anthony Fronis said she was divorced and had two young children, aged four and two years old, of whom she was the primary carer.

Yanhong Zheng, 44, leaving Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday February 18, 2022.

Mr Fronis said her offending was one of the “least serious” examples of operating an unlawful prostitution business he had ever seen.

“It’s less than a two-week period,” he said.

“It was only in relation to certain services that didn’t provide sexual intercourse so there was no public safety considerations.

“No evidence of wealth (and) no money was taken or seized.”

Her offending occurred between November 15 and November 26 last year.

Of his second client Zhang, Mr Fronis said she arrived in Australia in 2017 on a student visa.

Juan Zhang, 31, leaving Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday February 18, 2022.

She is currently studying a diploma of business management.

The court heard she only worked at the “massage” business for a couple of weeks, for a few hours at a time, and did not offer sexual intercourse as a service.

Zhang is now out of work and financially supported by her parents.

Fellow sex workers Chen and Xie, both represented by defence lawyer Mandy Wang, committed their offences at Booval on November 24 last year and at Silkstone between November 12 and 25 last year, respectively.

Ms Wang said Chen relocated to Australia in August 2018 on a bridging visa and worked at the massage parlour to support her family in China, including her two elderly parents and her five-year-old daughter.

The court heard she sent money to her family every month to help them with their living expenses and had an otherwise clean criminal history.

Bian Fang Chen, 36, leaving Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday February 18, 2022.

Ms Wang said her client also did not offer sexual intercourse to her clients.

“The offending is not as serious as the previous cases,” she said.

“There is no allegations of advertising and the service offered was only handjobs.

“No cash was found on the premises and I note my client was only found at the front of the store, not providing any services.”

Ms Wang told the court Chen now works at another store which offers legitimate massage services.

Shangqun Xie, 49, leaving Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday February 18, 2022.

She said her second client Xie also arrived in Australia in August 2018 on a bridging visa and was working at a brothel to support her five-year-old daughter and elderly parents who lived in China.

“She is only an employee at the business,” Ms Wang said.

“The phone number (featured in) advertising was not hers.

“She did not take the bookings or set the price and the money found on the premises was not hers.”

Magistrate Andy Cridland said he had taken into account each woman’s early plea of guilty, their lack of criminal histories, and that their offending was at the “low end of the scale”.

He fined Zheng $800, Zhang $300, Xie $300, and Chen $200.

No convictions were recorded.