Pair from West Kent jailed for sex trafficking
Gerrard Carroll, 51, of Whetsted Road, Five Oak Green, was jailed for 18 months and Malaysian born Moi Cheng Chua, 47, of Mercer Street, Tunbridge Wells, received a 12-month sentence.
The pair were sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court for involvement in brothels in Elm Lane and Quarry Hill Road, Tonbridge, and Mercer Street, Tunbridge Wells.
Carroll was involved in the operation of the Tonbridge brothels and at a property in St Andrews Street, Lincoln.
Chua was working at a house in Mercer Street where officers believed a number of young Asian women were being used as prostitutes.
She was responsible for the premises and regularly banked hundreds of pounds into bank accounts belonging to people living outside of Kent.
Carroll had previously pleaded guilty to trafficking people within the UK for sexual exploitation. He also admitted conspiracy to control prostitution for gain.
Tonbridge residents and traders spoke to the Kent and Sussex Courier.
Colin Perrie, 73, who has lived in Quarry Hill Road for 45 years, said he had not known there had been a brothel nearby.
Belinda Godwin, landlady of The Foresters Arms pub, in Quarry Hill Road, said she had not known about the brothel but it didn't surprise her. She added: "I don't think people would be too impressed if they knew that was on their doorstep."
Chua, a mother-of-four, had pleaded guilty to transferring criminal property and conspiracy to control prostitution for gain. When the case was heard last month the court was told the vice web had brought in profits more than £1m.
The money was said to have been used to buy a string of brothels and luxury villas in Spain.
Judge Martin Joy said they had both been actively and directly involved in running the brothels.
He said: "You were both engaged in a substantial and profitable enterprise.
"You both gained substantial profit. You each had a personal involvement in the running of the brothels."
The court was told Carroll was responsible for advertising massage services in local papers and for collecting girls – all Asian – from Tunbridge Wells station and taking them either to the brothels or the addresses of clients.
When he was arrested he had claimed that he was nothing more than a taxi driver.
He said he had been directed by a brothel "madame" called Rita.
It had been claimed by the prosecution that Rita was in fact Chua.
However, she had denied this and the court heard the prosecution had a problem proving she was in fact the woman called Rita.
Chua had claimed she was a cleaner and had denied she knew Carroll. But prosecuting counsel Judith King claimed Carroll and Chua were closely involved in the vice ring.
She said: "They were clearly part of a far wider, international operation.
"Chua was responsible for transferring benefit from her criminal conduct."
Turning to Carroll she said he could have benefited by as much as £1m.
The couple were arrested as a result of a police probe which began a year ago as a result of a tip-off.
The court was told Chua had met undercover officers at the Mercer Street premises where it was claimed she was given money by a prostitute.
Carroll's counsel, Andrea Brown, denied Carroll had made £1m from his activities or the operation was on a large scale.
Counsel for Chua, Louis French, said she had believed the premises in Mercer Street were "nothing more than a massage parlour" and were not illegal.
He said she was essentially a housekeeper who had been responsible for cooking and cleaning and she had earned £200 a week.
Comment on this story