Two people were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court today following a lengthy investigation by the Thames Valley Police Organised Crime Group (OCG).

The investigation looked into the organised control of brothels and prostitution across the south east of England between July 2006 and November 2008.

Jamie Lee Rowland of Mandlebrote Drive, Littlemore, and Rachel Ricardo of Ladder Hill, Wheatley, both pleaded guilty to jointly conspiring to manage a network of eight brothels, contrary to Section 33A of the Sexual Offences Act 1956.

The brothels were located at:

Iffley Road, Oxford

Upway Road, North Way, Oxford

Phoenix Place, 123 – 125 Oxford Rd, Reading

Cormorant Wood, Newbury

Wash Water, Newbury

Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes

Bell Lane Blackwater, Camberley, Hants

Bath Road, Knowlhill, Reading.

Rowland was sentenced to two years and Ricardo was sentenced to 12 months.

Rowland was additionally sentenced to a further 18 months, to run consecutively, for the illegal possession of a Taser-style stungun and a lock-knife.

Rowland was found not guilty of possession of a sawn-off shotgun, which was recovered from his house during a search on his home.

Det Con Richard Jones said: “As a result of this investigation we have disrupted an illegal brothel business which was acting as a lucrative criminal enterprise, netting thousands of pounds each month.

"Using the Proceeds of Crime Act; work is currently underway to try and confiscate the money that they made.”