A Bingham couple who ran a prostitution ring in Lincoln have become the first people in the history of the force to be given a new civil order.
Philip Godfrey, 47, and Lam Lai Man, 52, each admitted two charges of controlling prostitution for gain and pleaded guilty at a hearing on August 29, 2019.
The pair received 18 month jail terms, suspended for two years, last August, when they appeared before Lincoln Crown Court.
Now, the couple have each been given slavery and trafficking risk orders after they appeared before magistrates in Lincoln on Monday, February 8.
It is a civil order secured by Lincolnshire Police under the Modern Slavery Act and will last for five years.
The order, which is the first of its kind obtained by the force, imposes restrictions on Godfrey and Man to help protect the vulnerable in the area.
Nottinghamshire Police will serve the order and enforce it going forward.
The couple, who live in Nottinghamshire, were given suspended sentences for running a prostitution ring where Chinese women would see up to 12 people for sex each day.
Women would travel to Lincoln and be taken to a flat where they would remain for almost an entire week.
Godfrey and Lam began the enterprise by renting a flat in the north of Lincoln, in March 2017.
Notes were later found indicating that the couple were possibly looking to rent further properties elsewhere in the region.
Previously, when approached by Nottinghamshire Live at his home in The Banks, Bingham, Mr Godfrey declined the opportunity to apologise to his victims.
Det Con Michael Simpson, from the serious and organised crime unit at Lincolnshire Police, hopes the granting of the order will send a clear message to criminals in the county.
He said: “The orders given by the courts against this couple will mean that they cannot restart this operation again in the future.
“This type of crime is enabled by technology which allows people to hide their identity whilst exploiting vulnerable people for profit.
“Lincolnshire Police will continue to pursue anyone exploiting vulnerable people.”
