The men who pleaded guilty were clients of an illegal prostitution ring that used women and teenage girls, some as young as 13 or 14 years old. The prostitution ring was dismantled by police last year.

The pimp behind the ring, Clayton Fox49, from Rotorua, was jailed for eight years and five months after pleading guilty to 18 charges relating to supplying methamphetamine and cannabis to teenagers aged 13 and 14 and using underage girls in his illegal prostitution network.

His co-defendant and partner at the time, Wikitoria Pépène32, from Rotorua, was facing less serious drug-related charges and one charge of running an illegal prostitution business. She was imprisoned for three months but has since been released.

A summary of the facts communicated to the Rotorua Daily Post said a 13-year-old girl was tricked into creating an online account to advertise commercial sexual services.

The summary said she presented herself as 18 or 19 and that was the age advertised on online accounts.

Fox and another man, Darby Bronson Whareaorere, 29, of Rotorua, were charged with offenses relating to assisting the teenager in providing commercial sexual services.

Whareaorere pleaded not guilty to several charges, but died in prison on April 29 before his case went to trial.

Among the charges against Whareaorere were assisting a minor in providing commercial sexual services and receiving a cash payment that he knew came from commercial sexual services provided by a minor.

Choudhary, Falanai, Prahladan, Philpott and Shaw pleaded guilty to receiving commercial sexual services from a 13-year-old girl. The charge is brought under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 and carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.

The summary reveals details about how each man interacted with the teen:

Choudhary messaged the teenager on February 20 last year and asked her for commercial sexual services. She refused to meet him.

At around 8pm on March 17, Choudhary messaged her through an online escort website and arranged to meet her around Sala St in Rotorua.

Around 9 p.m. that evening, they met and Choudhary received commercial sexual services from the teenager. At midnight, he sent her a message saying “Goddess”.

On April 6, Choudhary messaged the teen again and asked for more commercial sexual services, but she refused to meet with him. The same day, he messaged her and asked her to buy him underwear and socks.

During his arrest, Choudhary told police the teen told him she was 19, according to the summary.

Falanai sent the teenager a message on February 20 last year through an online escort website.

They met at 9 p.m. and went together to a discreet location in Rotorua where he received commercial sexual services from her for about 15 minutes.

When he was arrested and police told him how old the girl was, Falanai said: “You’re kidding me. I don’t know what to say to be honest. What do I say to that? I feel disgusted,” the summary says.

Prahladan messaged the teenager and requested commercial sexual services from her on January 20, 2023. He traveled from Tauranga and met her in Rotorua, paying $250, the summary states.

On February 20, 2023, Prahladan messaged the teenager and requested commercial sexual services. He said that in the messages, his phone number appeared to have been blocked by her and they exchanged numbers again. Between April 21, 2023 and September 15, 2023, Prahladan called the teenager’s number 29 times.

On March 30, 2023, Prahladan sent a message to an online profile using the teenager’s images. He requested 20 minutes of commercial sexual services for $200. He did not receive the services because he refused to pay an initial deposit.

Philpott messaged the teenager and another unknown woman offering commercial sexual services at 5.30pm on January 16, 2023. He met the teenager and the unknown woman at the Greenview Motel on Fenton St in Rotorua at around 8.30pm and paid $600 for an hour of their services.

around 11 p.m. on February 11, 2023, Philpott messaged the teen and arranged to meet at the Four Square parking lot on Edmund Rd. Philpott paid the teen $300 for an hour of his services.

On March 11, 2023, at 9:30 p.m., Philpott messaged the teenager and arranged to meet at a Countdown supermarket. He paid $300 for an hour of his services.

The summary says Philpott told police he didn’t think she was that young.

Fox contacted Shaw in early 2023 to tell him he “had a girl for him,” the summary states. Shaw agreed to meet them and the teenager was driven to his trailer in Ngakuru where he paid for and received commercial sexual services.

Shaw told police he asked and was told the teen was over the legal age, according to the summary.

The five men who pleaded guilty will be sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on February 21.

Three men have pleaded not guilty to receiving commercial sexual services from a 13-year-old girl. One also pleaded not guilty to a charge of unlawful sexual relations with a youth. The three men will visit each other on February 19 and a tentative trial date has been set for July 21.

Kelly Makiha is a veteran journalist who has worked for the Rotorua Daily Post for over 25 years, primarily covering police, courts, human interests and social issues.