Western Daily Press (Saturday)
‘Shameless’ woman gets jail for running brothel
AWOMAN who ran a brothel masquerading as a massage parlour has been jailed. Natalie Davis took a 50 per cent cut from sex workers at Butterfly’s, in Alexandra Parade, Weston-superMare.
Bristol Crown Court heard the business achieved a turnover of £450,000 during a 10-year period.
Police intervened in November 2017, raiding the brothel and removing two women, after a media report exposed what was going on.
Butterfly’s was shut down the following month.
Davis, 51, of Bristol Road, Hewish, pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain.
Judge Mark Horton handed her a prison sentence of two years and six months at Bristol Crown Court.
He told Davis: “You exploited women in the sex industry who you employed for very serious and substantial financial gain.”
Mary Cowe, prosecuting, said a news article suggesting Butterfly’s was a brothel appeared in February 2017.
The next day, police visited the premises, where they checked the women’s welfare and Davis said she was the owner, renting rooms out to women for massage.
Miss Cowe said: “The women said they were fine and happy to be there.”
Police then sent three undercover officers to the establishment, the court heard.
Two officers were offered sex for £100 by two different women. One of the women said they could meet the officer in a hotel or at his home, and no one was forced to do anything at Butterfly’s.
The court heard a third officer was also offered sex by a third woman.
The sex workers were said to be aged in their mid to late 20s.
Miss Cowe said the policemen made their excuses and left.
A raid was then carried out at the property and police found a Polish woman who was staying legally in the UK and another female asylumseeker who suggested she had been trafficked there, though not by Davis.
Police have said one woman was referred to the National Referral Mechanism – a system that helps protect victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
A number of sex toys were found locked in cupboards during the raid. The search also uncovered boxes of condoms, £1,400 and CCTV, which captured offered.
An investigation established the business was advertising adult women for sexual services online.
Davis initially denied knowing about sexual activity.
Brendon Moorhouse, mitigating, said it was his client’s intention to run a safe establishment and protect workers.
He said: “She paid taxes on income. Everything else was perfectly legal and regulised.
“She was making sure people were treated properly and not trafficked.”
The court heard a process under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to claw back available ill-gotten gains, was in train.
Mr Moorhouse said: “She will lose all the benefit.
“She’ll be hit with the gross amount, which is more than the net gain.”
In a statement released after the sentencing, Chief Inspector Leanne Pook said: “Natalie Davis shamelessly exploited vulnerable women for her own personal gain.”
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