Teenage prostitution in Rotorua: Five men admit to being clients

The men who pleaded guilty were clients of an illegal prostitution ring that used women and teenage girls, some as young as 13 and 14 years old. Last year, a prostitution ring was busted by police.

The pimp behind the ring, Clayton Fox, 49, from Rotorua, was jailed for eight years and five months after pleading guilty to 18 charges relating to the supply and use of methamphetamine and cannabis to teenagers aged 13 and 14. underage girls for their own illegal purposes. prostitution.

His co-accused and then-partner, Victoria Pepene, 32, from Rotorua, was charged with lesser drug-related charges and a charge of operating an illegal prostitution business. She was jailed for three months but has since been released.

Summary of facts published in Rotorua Daily Post said the 13-year-old girl was forced to create an online account to advertise commercial sex services.

The resume said she was 18 or 19 years old, which was the age listed on the online accounts.

Fox and another man, Darby Bronson Whareorere, 29, from Rotorua, were charged with offenses relating to helping a teenager provide commercial sexual services.

Whareorere pleaded not guilty to a number of charges but died in prison on April 29 before his case went to trial.

Among Whareorere’s charges were that he assisted a minor in providing commercial sexual services and received monetary payment that he knew was received for commercial sexual services provided to the minor.

Choudhary, Falanai, Prahladan, Philpott and Shaw pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining commercial sexual services from a 13-year-old girl. The charge is brought under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 and carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.

The brief description reveals details of how each man interacted with the teenager:

On February 20 last year, Choudhary messaged the girl and asked her for commercial sexual services. She refused to meet with him.

At about 8pm on March 17, Choudhary messaged her through an online escort website and arranged to meet her at Sala Street in Rotorua.

Around 9 pm that same day, they met and Choudhary received commercial sexual services from the teenager. At midnight he sent her a message saying “Goddess.”

On April 6, Choudhary messaged the teenager again and asked her for further commercial sexual services, but she refused to meet him. That same day, he texted her and asked her to buy her underwear and socks.

When arrested, Choudhary told police that the girl told him she was 19 years old, the report said.

Falanay sent the teenager a message on February 20 last year through an online escort website.

They met at 9pm and traveled together to a secluded location in Rotorua where he obtained commercial sexual services from her for approximately 15 minutes.

When Falanay was arrested and told police how old the girl was, she said, “You’re fucking kidding me. I don’t know what to say, to be honest. What should I say to this? I feel disgusted,” the summary reads.

Prahladan messaged the girl and asked her for commercial sexual services on January 20, 2023. He traveled from Tauranga and met her in Rotorua, paying $250, the summary said.

On February 20, 2023, Prahladan messaged the girl and asked her for commercial sexual services. In the messages, he said his phone number appeared to be blocked by her and they exchanged numbers again. From April 21, 2023 to September 15, 2023, Prahladan called the teenager’s number 29 times.

On March 30, 2023, Prahladan posted a message on an online profile that used images of the teenager. He requested 20 minutes of commercial sexual services for $200. He did not receive the service because he refused to pay the initial deposit.

Philpott sent a message to the teenager and another unknown woman offering commercial sexual services at 5:30 p.m. on January 16, 2023. He met the teenager and an unknown woman at the Greenview Motel on Fenton Street in Rotorua at about 8.30pm and paid $600 for one hour of communication. your services.

At around 11pm on February 11, 2023, Philpott texted the teenager and arranged to meet him at the Four Square car park on Edmund Road. Philpott paid the teenager $300 for an hour of her services.

On March 11, 2023, at 9:30 p.m., Philpott texted the teenager and arranged to meet him at a Countdown supermarket. He paid $300 for an hour of her services.

Philpott told police he didn’t think she was that young, the report said.

Fox contacted Shaw in early 2023 and said he “had a girlfriend,” the summary states. Shaw agreed to meet them and the teenager was taken to his van in Ngakuru where he paid for and received commercial sexual services.

Shaw told police he asked and was told the teen was of legal age, the summary states.

The five men who pleaded guilty will be sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on February 21.

Three men have pleaded not guilty to receiving commercial sexual services from a 13-year-old girl. One of them also pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful sexual relations with a young man. The three men face a Feb. 19 summons, with a preliminary court date set for July 21.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has written for the Rotorua Daily Post for over 25 years, covering mainly police, courts, human interests and social issues.