8th
Mar 2021
Surrey landlord Christopher Cox has been accused of asking women to provide a range of sexual services in return for accommodation in the first case of its kind in the UK. The exploitative services included taking photos of female renters in bikinis and committing physical sexual interactions.
The 52-year-old landlord was charged with two counts, one of inciting prostitution and the other for controlling prostitution between May and November in 2018.
The prosecutors told Staines magistrates court that the landlord had allegedly uploaded adverts on Craigslist targeting young, susceptible and homeless women with offers of free accommodation in his home in Cranleigh; according to The Independent story ……‘in return he wrote he would expect them to cook, clean, and do laundry and possibly more’.
Prosecutor Kimberly Grabban also told the court that Cox had stated the women must be willing to perform bondage sex acts with him as well as being tied up.
As reported in the Mirror Online story the prosecutor stated: “[Cox] explained that in exchange for the room he wanted them to constantly be in bikinis and wanted to tie them up and play with them sexually. She would need to sleep in his bed every night, including bondage, spanking and BDSM.”
On Wednesday February 24th Cox via a video-link, appeared before the Staines Magistrate court where he pleaded not guilty of the count of controlling prostitution between May 17 and June 27.
Regarding the terms of the two counts of inciting prostitution for gain that were alleged to have occurred between August 21 and September 6, and November 4-7, Cox failed to provide pleas.
ITV researchers contacted the police in their investigation by providing details of a complainant who stated she had agreed to a ‘sex for rent’ agreement with Cox.
Grabban explained: “The facts of this case relate to the ITV TV channel referring this matter to Surrey Police in 2019 before an episode of The Kyle Files involving the defendant."
Cox was given unconditional bail until March 25th when he will appear in Guildford Crown Court after District Judge Julie Cooper referred the case to its next hearing.
Under the new changes made to England’s CPS legal guidance in 2019 making ‘sex for rent’ exploitation schemes illegal, Cox could be ‘housed’ for up to seven years courtesy of the penal system.
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