The Supreme Court on February 1 upheld the verdict for a woman who was sentenced to seven years in prison for involvement in prostitution under the cover of a massage parlour in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district in 2017.

The accused, Sokha Sotheary, 38, was charged with prostitution procurement with aggravating circumstances.

Presiding Judge Saly Theara said: “The Supreme Court has decided to uphold the sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal on August 12, 2020.”

According to the Phnom Penh municipal Anti-Human Trafficking police report, the woman had operated a barber shop which doubled as a massage parlour along Veng Sreng Boulevard in Meanchey district’s Stueng Meanchey commune. She was arrested on July 19, 2017.

In the raid, police found a number of condoms and rescued three underage girls aged 15 to 17 and a 21-year-old woman.

During questioning, the four said they had provided sexual service to customers and would give the accused $5 for every $30 they received from each customer. They were then handed over to a rehabilitation centre in Phnom Penh.

On June 22, 2018, the municipal court sentenced Sotheary to seven years in prison under articles 284 and 288 of the Criminal Code.