Madam faces huge debt

IPSWICH: A brothel madam has an �83,000 debt hanging over her today after being convicted of running a prostitution racket in Ashmere Grove.

A proceeds of crime (POCA) hearing at Ipswich Crown Court heard Yan Yang admitted she made �85,000 from her crime.

However, Yang can only repay less than �2,000 as that equates to all the assets she currently has.

This means she is still liable for the remainder for the rest of her life should she acquire realisable assets which can be seized.

Yang was sentenced to 10 months in jail when she appeared for sentencing at the court in September.

At her POCA hearing, the 50-year-old agreed her criminal benefit as a brothel madam was �85,376.

The court heard she only has unexplained cash deposits in a bank account. These amounted to �1,849.63, for which a confiscation order was made.

Yang must pay the full amount within 40 days or she could be sent to prison for a further 45 days.

Yang had rented a house in Ashmere Grove and initially had just one girl working for her, but recruited two further girls from London after advertising in a Chinese newspaper for masseuses.

When the girls arrived by train from London Yang arranged for a taxi to take them to Ashmere Grove and on their arrival one of them was required to provide sexual services for eight clients before she finished work at midnight, said Samantha Leigh, prosecuting.

The girl was paid �160 by Yang and received �40 in tips.

The following day the girls were taken into Ipswich by Yang to buy underwear and the police were called after there was a problem with payment.

After speaking to the girls police officers, armed with a search warrant, went to Ashmere Grove in May. After being let in by Yang they discovered a girl with a paying client, said Miss Leigh.

Yang pleaded guilty to keeping a brothel, controlling a prostitute for gain, trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation, possessing criminal property and removing �8,000 criminal property from the UK.