A landlord who forced a tenant to wear a bikini at all times has become the first person to be convicted for “sex for rent” offences in England and Wales.
Christopher Cox, 53, “targeted vulnerable young women” who needed a place to stay, including one female who was homeless, “unwell and desperate”, Guildford Crown Court heard.
Cox was jailed for 12 months on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to a charge of controlling prostitution for gain and two counts of inciting prostitution for gain.
Judge Robert Fraser told Cox that his behaviour was a “cynical attempt to take advantage by dangling a carrot to those who had little choice” and that he was involved in “very deliberately targeting homeless women who were vulnerable”.
The judge said the offending has now become “colloquially known as sex for rent” and “this is the first such prosecution that has been brought”.
Cox posted adverts online looking for young or homeless women to stay with him at his then home in Cranleigh, Surrey.
His advert was aimed at “a girl in need” and asked “if you are a young girl 16-plus who is stuck at home and wants to get away or maybe you are homeless seeking a safe route out, I have a room available in my home for a young girl”.
He asked them to send him photos of themselves and said they should wear bikinis and provide sexual services in exchange for a room.
Cox sought women to wear bikinis around the house, to take part in bondage, BDSM, spanking and to sleep in his bed.
The charges, between May 2018 and November 2018, relate to three separate women.
Caught by undercover reporters
Upon meeting the women who replied to his adverts, Cox soon became aware that they had triggered the interest of two undercover reporters who launched a sting operation.
They were working on a programme fronted by presenter Jeremy Kyle, who confronted Cox and told him that “what he was doing in targeting young vulnerable women for sexual favours was morally wrong and criminal”, prosecutor Ross Talbott said.
Even after he was confronted by TV cameras, Cox still continued sending out his adverts.
The allegations were passed to Surrey Police in 2019 following an investigation by ITV researchers and the force identified a woman who said she entered into a sex-for-rent arrangement with Cox.
Cox was sentenced to six months on each of the two charges of inciting prostitution for gain, which relate to two women between August 21 and September 6, 2018 and November 4 and 7, 2018.
He was also jailed for 12 months for controlling prostitution for gain between May 17 and June 27, 2018.
The charge relates to a woman that Cox had sex with, who was described by the prosecution as “unwell and desperate”, doing cash-in-hand jobs and who had been involved in sex work. She was suicidal, needed a hip replacement and was in pain.
Balding Cox, sporting a large grey beard and a black suit, made no response as he stood in the dock and was sentenced.