Woman jailed seven years for prostitution and man jailed five for operating brothel

A woman has been sentenced to seven years in jail after being convicted of prostitution.

The Prosecutor General’s Office had filed five charges against two women and a man in Fuvahmulah, including operating a brothel, prostitution, blackmail, producing pornographic material, and producing pornographic material depicting a person’s genitals without consent.

Three of the charges were pursued against all three suspects, while two resulted in convictions, one against a woman and one against a man. The second woman was not convicted.

One of the women was found guilty of prostitution and sentenced to seven years in prison. The man was convicted of operating a brothel and sentenced to five years in prison.

All three had been charged with blackmail, but the court ruled that the offence was not proven. None of the three were convicted of producing pornographic content or producing material showing a person’s genitals without consent.

The hearings were conducted behind closed doors in order to protect public morality, the court said.