Ban sex-for-sale websites to prevent modern slavery, Dudley MP demands

Conservative MP Mr Longhi wants Viva Street banned, as he says pimps can sell vulnerable and trafficked women for sex on the website despite its operators being invited to address a National Crime Agency conference.

The Home Office Select Committee, of which Mr Longhi is a member, heard shocking evidence on Wednesday claiming the National Crime Agency is giving websites like Viva Street the veneer of respectability instead of shutting them down.

Mr Longhi also quizzed representatives from the National Crime Agency, the National Police Chief's Council, and the CPS about the low rates of prosecution concerning modern slavery, which are currently 2.3 per cent, and called for a change in the law to help vulnerable women.

Raising the difference between the sale of drugs and sex Mr Longhi said: "My understanding of the law is you can't just go onto eBay and buy cocaine but through the likes of Viva Street and others you can buy sex, which we know there are many many victims. So it seems like it's OK for one criminal act and not the other.

"It might be controversial if the selling of sex for money was made illegal, then it would solve a lot of problems."

He added: "In the case of modern slavery data I've been given today; from 12,000 referrals, there was just 282 convictions, seems a really really low number."

The committee heard that in 2022 from over 10,000 modern slavery cases there were just 286 referrals to the CPS, with 95 resulting in a charge.

The MP told the Express & Star after the meeting: "The members of the committee and myself were incredibly frustrated by what we heard today concerning the very low charging and conviction rates concerning people smuggling, modern slavery and sexual exploitation.

"This has been the case for several years but what remains unclear are any solutions to stop this happening. All we get from our questions is not the reason why this is happening but just requests for more money.

"I tried to ask what needs to be done, but was met with demands for more money, when this strikes me as putting more resources to help victims. However, I want to find a way to stop more victims being created."

He added: "It is obvious the bar is too high for the evidence needed to prosecute, what is one problem.

"As a parliamentarian I want to find a way to stop victims being created, so it seems to be allowing these websites which gives so many people the opportunity to purchase illegal sex so easily is wrong.

"Yes, these things might be driven underground but I am pretty sure they are underground already but at least it is stopping a lot of people being able to break the law so easily and create so many victims."

He added: "Days like this can be frustrating."

Lynette Woodrow, lead for modern slavery at the Crown Prosecution Service, agreed with Mr Longhi the that outlawing of the act of selling sex totally would cut down the exploitation of women.

She said: "When it comes to sex, legislation has evolved over time. To exchange sex for money is not a criminal offence. But what is a criminal offence is having sex with a exploited prostitute, it's controlling prostitution, there is a whole patchwork of offences, some old and some new.

"You would need to look to the academics to answer about the impact of that [making the sale of sex illegal]. At the heart of it, it has been said if you can control and curb demand then that must limit the exploitation. I think it would be possible but it would be up to Parliament to do it."

Chair of the committee, Dame Diana Johnson, accused law enforcement of enabling adult websites like Viva Street to allow pimps to organise trafficked girls and women to be raped for money.

She told National Crime Agency bosses: "I struggle with the idea that you have to keep these pimping websites open to get intelligence.

"You seem to be cosying up and enabling adult service websites to carry on allowing trafficked women to be raped multiple times a day. I think it is disgraceful."

The committee heard how representatives of Viva Street had spoken at a NCA conference about its business model and working with the police.

Dame Diana added: "I am concerned about the close working relationship between law enforcement and Viva Street. You are having people from these websites talk to your police offices, attend your conferences and giving a veneer that you are working collaboratively. Crimes are committed in plain sight.

"And yet there is no data whether working with these websites is leading to any intelligence for any prosecutions."

Rob Jones , director of threat leadership at the National Crime Agency, blamed a lack of regulation and laws for not being able to shut the websites down but claimed they were crucial for obtaining intelligence.

"We are not advocate for these companies in any way" he said.

"It is abhorrent, but we would be foolish if we didn't get intelligence from them. We would welcome regulation to close them down.

"But if we close down public-facing websites then will lose that ability to see what is happening."

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Pearce, from the National Police Chief's Council, also claimed the websites are vital for intelligence gathering.

He said: "We build a picture of threat, risk and harm through intelligence. We get intelligence where we can. Why would we shut down an avenue where we get intelligence?"

However, he agreed conviction and charging rates for modern slavery were low but claimed the police would lock up perpetrators for various other crimes, including drug dealing and violence, which are easier to prosecute than sexual exploitation.