Landlord jailed in first ‘sex for rent’ case in UK
A landlord who “brazenly advertised” a free room in return for sexual services has become the first person in England and Wales to be jailed for so-called ‘sex for rent’ offences.
Christopher Cox, 53, targeted “vulnerable young women” who were looking for an affordable place to stay.
He advertised on the classified ads website Craigslist, offering a free room in his home for young and/or homeless girls. In return, he stated in the advert that he expected them to cook, clean and do laundry, and “possibly more”, and asked them to send him a photograph of themselves.
At Guildford Crown Court on Wednesday (May 10), Cox, of Guildford Road, Cranleigh, was jailed for 12 months. He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting prostitution for gain and one charge of controlling prostitution for gain when he appeared at an earlier hearing in March.
Surrey Police said the matter was brought to its attention in March 2019 following an undercover investigation by researchers on ITV’s Kyle Files.
Undercover researchers pretending to be interested in the free room had contacted Cox, who explained that in exchange for the room he wanted them to be constantly in bikinis and provide sexual services. They arranged to meet him, at which point he repeated his request and suggested the arrangement had gone ahead with other girls in the past.
Following the first meeting with one of the undercover researchers in September 2018, Cox was confronted by programme host Jeremy Kyle asking why he was doing what he was doing and telling him that his behaviour was wrong.
Surrey Police said Cox then put up another post, which was responded to by another undercover researcher in October 2018. However, he refused to meet her due to his concerns that it was a “set up”.
He was then contacted by another undercover researcher in November 2018 replying to a further advert, and they arranged to meet, resulting in Cox being confronted again by Jeremy Kyle.
ITV contacted Surrey Police in March 2019 before the episode exposing Cox was aired.
Cox was interviewed by officers the following month and a search of his home address was carried out, during which his mobile phone, tablet, computer and two memory sticks were seized.
“One of the women was identified as a possible victim from Cox’s phone, after messages from him saying that if she lived with him, she would need to sleep in his bed every night and provide sexual favours,” said Surrey Police.
After speaking to police, the victim said there had been a “sex for rent” arrangement in place and that he demanded she wore a bikini whenever he was home.
Surrey Police said Cox’s devices also showed messages with the ITV undercover researchers, as well as messages from Cox to other people, voicing his concerns that he had “been involved in a set-up”.
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Megan Lightburn said: “Cox has brazenly advertised on a classified ads website offering a room in return for sexual services. To take advantage of vulnerable women who are simply looking for an affordable way to put a roof over their heads is utterly despicable.
“Even after being caught out and challenged by undercover researchers working on an television programme pretending to be interested in his ad, he has still continued to advertise the room.
“The fact that he pleaded guilty to all three charges proves how compelling the evidence against him was, and I can only hope that the sentence he has received today will bring some form of closure for the victim who did end up moving with him and reassure her that he has been brought to justice for his heinous actions.”