In a disturbing case involving an illegal prostitution ring in Rotorua, five men have admitted to engaging commercial sexual services from a 13-year-old girl.
The men, identified as Shubham Choudhary, Felise Falanai, Nishanth Parakudiyil Prahladan, Stephen James Philpott, and Stephen Graham Shaw, were part of a network exposed by police last year.
The operation was led by pimp Clayton Fox, who has already been sentenced to over eight years in prison for his role in supplying underage girls with drugs and facilitating their exploitation. Court documents revealed how each man interacted with the young victim, often under the pretense that she was of legal age.
Two men who pleaded not guilty died before their trials could proceed, and charges against two others were dismissed.
The incident has shed light on the dark underbelly of sex trafficking in New Zealand, where young victims are manipulated into the trade under false pretenses about their age and the nature of the services provided.
The remaining accused will face sentencing in February, while three others, who maintain their innocence, are scheduled for trial later in the year.
Image credit: Osman Rana
