Jonathon Simon Pitt subject to Extended Supervision Order after luring teenage girl into becoming a sex worker

A man who lured a teenage girl into becoming a sex worker at his brothel is back in the community but will be closely monitored due to being “high risk”.

A man who lured a teenage girl into becoming a sex worker at his suburban brothel will have to wait longer for more freedom.

Jonathon Simon Pitt is back in the community but under strict supervision after not showing genuine insight into his offending.

The Attorney-General made an application in the Supreme Court for Pitt to be made the subject of an Extended Supervision Order (ESO), saying he was a “high risk offender” who “poses an appreciable risk to the safety of the community”.

Pitt was sentenced in 2018 to eight years jail, with a non-parole period of six years and five months which was backdated to July 2016.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Pitt’s offending was exposed when police raided his brothel after receiving information that underage girls were working as prostitutes at the premises.

Jonathon Pitt will be under supervision after not showing genuine insight into his offending.

Pitt befriended a 16-year-old girl on Facebook in January 2016, and told her he could help her find work.

The court heard he had unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl and then several days later Pitt, who was 25 at the time, asked her to become a sex worker at his brothel and she agreed.

“This was in the context of you desensitising her to the realities of this work by showing her advertisements for it, asking her to take phone calls from clients, facilitating bookings and meeting with another sex worker,” Judge Jane Schammer said.

The court heard the girl undertook sex work with a number of clients over a period of just over two months from the end of January, 2016.

The court also heard Pitt, who had a history of drug abuse, supplied another 16-year-old girl with cannabis in October 2015 and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her.

He tried to recruit the girl to work in his brothel but she declined.

Pitt pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including enabling a child under 18 to provide commercial sexual services, unlawful sexual intercourse, supplying a controlled drug to a child and keeping or managing a brothel.

He served the whole of his sentence before he was released in July 2024.

In a judgment published online, Justice Sandi McDonald said Pitt, who opposed the application, hadn’t shown genuine insight into his offending.

“Of greater concern is the attitude that Mr Pitt has demonstrated about his offending and the need for assistance in rehabilitating both whilst in custody and since his release,” she said.

“Throughout this time Mr Pitt has consistently demonstrated a cavalier attitude in which “he knows best”, rather than being prepared to accept and rely on the directions and advice of those who are there to support him.”

Justice McDonald granted the application and Pitt will now be subject to an ESO for one year and four months, with a curfew and electronic monitoring.

Originally published as Jonathon Simon Pitt subject to Extended Supervision Order after luring teenage girl into becoming a sex worker