Sydney Councils' Sex Spies

Nice Work If You Can Get It

Sydney's municipal councils are paying private detectives to go and have sex with prostitutes in order to ascertain if a brothel is legal or not.

Nine councils have paid up $25,000 over three years for the detectives to gather evidence against the illicit operations, News Ltd reports.

The onus of proof is on councils to show a business is operating illegally.

Ku-ring-gai Council has spent $7,000 in the last month but mayor Nick Ebbeck said it was a necessary expense.

The detectives had to actually have sex with the prostitutes to provide reports to satisfy the courts, he said.

"The only difference between us closing down an illegal panel beating shop and a brothel is we must prove they are doing the act and this is where it gets interesting," Mr Ebbeck told the paper.

Two brothels have been shut down this month on the basis of investigators' evidence, and five more premises are under investigation.

At a cost of $3,500 per case, the detectives provide an affidavit, a detailed account of the transaction and sometime video footage.

Willoughby Council has shut down one brothel this month, after paying $1,500 for detectives to pay it two visits.

North Sydney Council has forked out $4,800 to shut down three unlawful establishments, with the third case due in the Land and Environment Court later this month.

Sutherland Shire Council paid $800 last October for a detective to investigate an illegal brothel.

This is turning out to be a bit of a PR problem.

A councillor with Sydney's Willoughby Council says it is worrying councils have had to pay private investigators to have sex with prostitutes, so they can gather enough evidence to shut down illegal brothels.

A number of Sydney councils have reportedly paid thousands of dollars in fees to private investigators who visit the brothels and then provide affidavits which are used in court.

Councillor Trevor Morgan says it is wrong the burden of proof is on councils to prove that illegal activity is taking place on the site of unlawful brothels.

He says councils have no choice but to take such measures.

"Unfortunately, sometimes you have to take these courses because the law forces you take it," he said.

"The only way to do it is change the law and to give councils the right to enter these premises outside of trading hours and say, 'What is going on with all this set-up of type of premises,' but we can't do it."

I guess that won't wash well with the ALP who must make sure the prostitutes don't lose their jobs. Had the disgraced former Liberal Leader John Brogden been the premier... well, he wouldn't want to be shutting down brothels either.

So, who wants to be a Private Dick?