Three individuals have been sentenced for operating a large prostitution ring across the UK. Liu Xu Hopkins, 56, Benjamin Hopkins, 57, and Khondakar Hasan, 40, pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain in November. The court heard that the network ran six premises in various counties, including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.
His Honour Judge Townsend described the prostitution ring as a 'very substantial commercial enterprise' and thanked the police for their work investigating the crimes. The network was found to have exploited vulnerable women, who were moved between the six parlours 'to keep customers happy', according to the prosecution.
Liu Xu Hopkins, who had a previous conviction for prostitution and money laundering dating back to 2016, had recruited women to work at the parlours, including one woman from China. Benjamin Hopkins was responsible for maintaining the buildings and driving women between premises, while Khondakar Hasan organised rent and paid the businesses' bills.
The case was initially brought to the attention of the police by a member of the public, who reported suspicious activity at one of the premises. Police quickly realised the investigation went much further than Chippenham, and spent the next 18 months investigating the network. Sgt Jamie Ball, who leads Chippenham's neighbourhood policing team, said that the case had highlighted the need for safeguarding vulnerable individuals.