Jade Brandon Tabet switched names of sex workers after boss told him to

The manager of Utopia in Paradise brothel switched the name of a sex worker who was of shift. He claims his boss told him to.

A BROTHEL manager switched the name of a sex worker because her health certificate proving she was free of sexually transmitted infections had expired.

Jade Brandon Tabet changed the sex worker’s name to another employee of the Utopia in Paradise brothel who had a clearance.

The 23-year-old only did so after he got approval from his boss via text message.

Tabet pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday to one count of providing prostitution in contravention of a licensee certificate.

Magistrate John McInnes fined him $1000. No conviction was recorded.

“You weren’t the one who had the final say whether this falsehood was recorded in the books for your employer,” he said.

“However, the offence is a serious one.”

Prosecutor Andreea Iordache said the deception was discovered after a phone connected to people associated with the brothel was tapped in connection to a drug investigation.

A text message between Tabet and his boss alerted police to the change.

Ms Iordache said the brothel’s records showed a sex worker had signed in at 5.40pm on September 6 and left at 6.20am.

When the handwriting was checked it did not match that sex worker.

It was discovered the sex worker had not been at the brothel and another sex worker had signed in, using her name.

The second sex worker’s sexual health clearance had expired.

There is no suggestion the sex worker had any STIs.

Defence lawyer Dan McShane, of Rawlings Criminal Law, said Tabet, who is licenced to manage a brothel, had retained his employment at Utopia.

Mr McShane said Tabet was also studying personal training at TAFE and had ambitions of being a fitness model.

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