Two people were prosecuted by the court. But the audience very quickly turned around the role of Sarah* (the first name has been changed). A 44-year-old Périgord, never convicted, accused of being the mastermind of this lucrative business. “I only helped these women because they asked me to“, she explains to the bar.
However, she risks ten years in prison for pimping. In court, she says it all started on Airbnb in 2016. Spanish prostitutes rented her one of her accommodations near the train station. Sarah sympathizes with prostitutes because she speaks Spanish. Her phone number is exchanged between prostitutes who now contact her directly, she explains. The rentals of its three studios follow one another for 350 euros per week.
36 prostitutes accommodated in two weeks
Alerted by neighbors who observe the merry-go-round of prostitutes and customers, the police officers of the SRPJ of Bordeaux deploy significant means of investigation. They hide fortnight in the summer of 2018 rue des Mobiles. And photograph in two weeks 36 different prostitutes leaving the building. And at least 53 customers. At the same time, they start phone tapping. They then discover that she takes care of making appointments for 11 of them and manages certain advertisements on the internet. She even takes care of customer requests and informs them about prices. In exchange, she receives 10 euros on passes at 50 euros, 20 euros on those that are higher..
“There were only independent prostitutes“explains Sarah to the court.”I have housed ladies who have worked for 30 years, others younger, transsexuals, even sometimes single mothers who need money“, she says before insisting on the fact that she never thought of being guilty of pimping. No prostitute has filed a civil action.
40,000 euros in cash found during the search
In three years, the police investigation shows thatshe has deposited more than 80,000 euros in cash in her bank accounts in three years. And 40,000 euros in cash were found during the search. She also bought a house in Périgueux in 2017, for which she paid the amount in cash.
The prosecutor requested three years in prison against Sarah, two of which were suspended on probation. His alleged accomplice, a man in his fifties, to one year in prison and two years suspended probation. The deliberation was placed under deliberation on May 18.