Canberra brothel owner Bradley Grey jailed for 11 years for sampling the goods

[Looper]

A former Canberra brothel owner has been jailed for more than 11 years for sexual offences committed in the name of training.

Key points:

Bradley Lester Grey sexually assaulted seven women who worked at his brothel, under the guise of "training" them
The 55-year-old also pleaded guilty to trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex work
Grey, who was arrested two years ago, has been sentenced for 11 years and five months

Bradley Lester Grey, 55, was convicted of 20 offences against seven women who worked at his business Mitchell Mistresses, after a jury trial last year.

In a separate case, Grey pleaded guilty to trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex work — a conviction included in today's sentence.

During the trial, many of the victims said they made contact with Grey through websites such as Craigslist.

Grey had followed a similar pattern: first photographing the women in lingerie for advertising, then telling them they needed to do training before he hired them to make sure they were able to do the work.

Several of the women said they thought this would involve massage, or instructions on how to perform health checks.

But Grey asked the women to engage in various types of sexual activity.

He was eventually charged with 14 counts of sexual intercourse without consent and six counts of committing an act of indecency.

In sentencing Grey today, Chief Justice Helen Murrell said he had taken advantage of the women's naivety and associated shock.

"To himself, the offender may have rationalised his conduct as 'training' in the sense of 'breaking in' the complainants so that they could cope with the challenging nature of sex work," she said.

"But that was a very convenient rationalisation.

Most of the women reported mental-health problems, struggles to maintain relationships and other difficulties after their experience.

One woman who was recruited from Brisbane did not even know where Canberra was when she arrived.

When she resisted Grey's request that she undress because it made her uncomfortable, he replied that everyone else did.

The woman had not realised Grey was intending to have sexual contact with her.

She told the court she was shocked and disgusted but went along with it because she feared she would not get the job and would be stranded in Canberra.

Chief Justice Murrell said the incident had a significant emotional impact on the woman, who was only 23.

"She did not want to engage in any of the numerous sexual activities," the judge said.

"It was a horrendous introduction to sex work."

Chef Justice Murrell noted that Grey had quizzed the women about their financial situations beforehand and knew that most of them were in a vulnerable position.

Grey was sentenced to 11 years and five months in jail, with a non-parole period of six years and three months, ending in May 2024.

He indicated he would not return to the sex industry after he left jail.

https://www.abc. net.au/news/2020-02-27/brothel-owner-jailed-for-11-years-for-sex-offences-against-work/12006144

[Chico]

Did they not know how to say No.

[sabang]

So you apply for a job as a sex worker, and then say you are too shy to take yer clothes off? Nice excuse for a ladyboy I suppose.

[AntRobertson]

This is one of those threads where you can almost write the replies of certain posters for them

[sabang]

I doubt either of us will ever be involved in the sex trade auntie, but I doubt you would last long as a brothel owner if you hired the goods sight unseen.
What would you say to an enraged customer, if his temp mistress turned out to have a package, or even unseemly scars?

[AntRobertson]

I doubt either of us will ever be involved in the sex trade auntie, but I doubt you would last long as a brothel owner if you hired the goods sight unseen.

Well yeah but there’s a difference between that what this guy did.

There was a brothel owner who used to post on here as it happens, I recollect him telling me something about not touching the girls

[sabang]

^Yeh, good advice & same in the drugs trade- "don't get high on your own supply".

[AntRobertson]

Just out of interest but do you know who I'm referring to?

I was gonna post the name above but then it occurred to me that I can't remember if it was common forum knowledge or something that was told me in confidence. Either way he was quite the character to say the least!

[sabang]

I think so, but it doth not matter to me.

[AntRobertson]

Yeah me either (and not like it's really a big deal anyways) just didn't want to 'out' someone on account of my shite memory.

[Saint Willy]

Earl?

[Dragonfly]

indeed, Earl used to run a successful massage place,