A Rotorua teen prostitution ring uncovered by police in 2023 has led to the sentencing of Stephen Graham Shaw, a 70-year-old farmer, and Malissa Waiara Cropley, a 24-year-old involved in the operation, in the Rotorua District Court.
Shaw, who pleaded guilty to receiving commercial sexual services from a 13-year-old girl, was sentenced to eight months’ home detention after paying for services arranged by the ring’s pimp, Clayton Fox, who was jailed for over eight years in 2024 for running the operation with his partner, Wikitoria Pepene.
Cropley, found guilty of receiving payment from an underage girl she arranged to perform a job, received a six-month jail sentence, alongside penalties for unrelated charges.
The court highlighted the vulnerability of the victims and Cropley’s exploitation by Fox, with Judge Greg Hollister-Jones noting the case’s severe social implications. Other men involved as customers have faced home detention, while some cases remain unresolved due to deaths or upcoming trials.
