A rise in illegal sex workers visiting the Latrobe Valley has prompted police to issue a warning to motel owners to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.
Detectives are also investigating possible links to human trafficking of women who are allegedly coming into the area to perform sexual services to “make money for somebody else”.
A recent meeting between police and motel owners detailed police concerns that illegal sex workers could be using motels to perform the service.
‘Lisa’, a registered sex worker in the Latrobe Valley, said the number of illegal escorts visiting the region had increased in the past six months, with some women offering services at “significantly reduced rates”.
“My phone has been really quiet. You can go and check out the internet and often you can find heaps of illegally advertised sex workers there,” Lisa, whose real name has been withheld, said.
“It’s something that happens all the time, you get the girls that come up from Melbourne.”
Inspector Dean Thomas said police were investigating unlicensed sex workers in the Latrobe Valley and information obtained indicated services may be taking place in “accommodation facilities, such as motels”.
“We don’t know how many are working here. We’re working on all of that but it’s fair to say we’re conducting an investigation to determine the extent of this activity and obviously to identify those involved,” Inspector Thomas said.
Sex workers must be licensed under the Sex Work Act and hold a valid registration number.
It is also illegal under the act for sex workers to use facilities, such as motels, as a substitute or unlicensed brothels.
Despite police concerns motel owner John, who owns two motels in Morwell, said it was “not a big issue” and his businesses had experienced only one instance of an illegal sex worker in the past year.
“I had an incident back in November last year where an Asian chap booked a room for four or five days and paid cash,” John told The Express.
“I was away at the time so my relief manager took the payment and gave him the room. A day later he took a phone call from an anonymous female saying that a woman in your motel was a prostitute and using the room as a brothel.
“He went over there and evicted her.”
Contents of the motel room revealed transactions of the services along with condoms and other service-related items.
Another motel owner, this time at Traralgon, said a majority of his guests booked online and motel owners had “no idea of knowing what [guests] were doing in their room”.
In one incident, he was advised of a possible sex worker in one of his rooms but she denied it and the motelier said there was nothing he could do.
Another motel owner dismissed concerns by police illegal prostitution was on the rise in the Latrobe Valley but admitted “we don’t know what happens on our premises at night”.
“It’s illegal for a person to be found in, entering or leaving an illegal brothel, such as motel room or house,” Inspector Thomas said.
“It’s an offence also for a person to carry on business as a sex work service provider without holding an appropriate license.”
He said there was also “concerns of human trafficking” with women coming into the area to perform the act to make “money for somebody else”.
“It was very much about highlighting the problem and encouraging them [motel owners] to be part of the solution,” Inspector Thomas said.
“[Motel owners] attending the meeting were strongly opposed to this activity taking place in their venues and committed to working closely with police when they believe this is occurring.
“People need to know they are committing an offence if they take part in this activity and there is a very good chance that they will be detected by police and prosecuted.”
