In Sevastopol, members of a criminal group are being prosecuted — accused of organizing prostitution

According to the investigation, between 2020 and 2023, a 45-year-old local resident created and led a criminal group, for the functioning of which she found at least 11 girls who provided intimate services, rented and periodically changed at least 11 residential premises for conspiratorial purposes for prostitution, and also purchased three cars to transport workers to clients and provided the group members with communication equipment. In order to evenly distribute responsibilities in the criminal scheme, the organizer also involved three women aged 41 to 51, who acted as administrators of brothels. They conducted telephone conversations with potential clients, placed orders for the provision of services, organized meetings, and also kept records of the time worked and the amount of money received.— the press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sevastopol noted.

Three athletic men aged between 33 and 40 were also recruited into the criminal group to act as drivers and security guards. They transported the girls to clients, received payment from them for the services rendered and handed it over to the organizer, and also, if necessary, provided the workers with force and assistance.

The leader advertised the work of the brothels on a specially created website, the promotion and filling of which with current photographs of girls was the responsibility of a 56-year-old member of the criminal group.

The illegal activities of the accomplices were stopped by officers of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Sevastopol with the forceful support of the special forces unit OMON «Berkut-S» of the Russian Guard.

During searches at the defendants’ residences and rented apartments, police officers seized communications equipment, electronic storage devices, and various logbooks. During the investigation, the defendants’ funds totaling approximately 110,000 rubles and the organizer’s car, valued at approximately 1.4 million rubles, were also seized.

In the near future, the materials of the criminal case on the elements of the crime provided for in Part 1 of Article 241 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation «Organization of prostitution» with the indictment approved by the prosecutor’s office will be sent to the court for consideration. The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to five years.

source: press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Sevastopol