Warning: Distressing content

Two people involved in a Rotorua teen prostitution ring that has been described as “social dysfunction at its worst” have been sentenced.

One of the customers, Stephen Graham Shaw, a 70-year-old Rotorua farmer, and one of the prostitutes, Malissa Waiara Cropley, who got an underage girl to do one of her jobs, appeared in the Rotorua District Court this week for sentencing.

Shaw had earlier pleaded guilty to receiving commercial sexual services from a girl aged 13.

Cropley was found guilty at an earlier hearing of receiving payment from a person under 18 who was providing commercial sexual services.

The charges were brought under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003.

The illegal ring was busted by police in 2023. The pimp, Clayton Fox, was jailed for eight years and five months in February last year after admitting 18 charges relating to supplying teens with methamphetamine and cannabis and using underage girls in the sex industry.

It was revealed during his court case he had sex with one of the teens, describing it as an “interview” for the prostitution job. He ran the operation with his partner, Wikitoria Pepene.

Clayton Fox and Wikitoria Pepene at their February 2024 sentencing. Photo / Andrew Warner

She was discharged without conviction for her part in the ring but was jailed for three months on drugs-related charges.

Shaw was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court today by Judge Greg Hollister-Jones to eight months’ home detention.

A summary of facts earlier released to the Rotorua Daily Post said Fox contacted Shaw at the start of 2023 saying he “had a girl for him”.

Shaw agreed to meet them and the teen was driven to his caravan in Ngākuru, Rotorua, where he paid for and received commercial sex services.

Shaw told police at the time he asked and was told the teen was over the legal age, the summary said.

Stephen Graham Shaw appears in the Rotorua District Court for sentencing. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Judge Hollister-Jones said he accepted Shaw was genuinely remorseful.

From a starting point of two years’ imprisonment, he reduced the sentence by 25% for Shaw’s guilty plea, 5% for remorse and 3% for his prospects of rehabilitation. The remaining 16 months’ jail was converted to an eight-month home detention sentence.

Cropley, 24, appeared in the same court on Thursday and was sentenced on a range of charges, including receiving payment from a person under the age of 18 who was receiving commercial sexual services.

Judge Hollister-Jones said Cropley was in a relationship with Fox and was working with him in the sex industry.

Malissa Cropley appears in the Rotorua District Court for sentencing. Photo / Kelly Makiha

He said on one occasion Cropley did not want to meet with a client so got another girl, who was aged under 18, to do the job. Cropley then passed the money to Fox.

Judge Hollister-Jones presided over the hearing and found Cropley guilty of the sexual services payment charge.

“What I heard at the hearing is social dysfunction at its worst.”

He said not only was the underage girl vulnerable, but Cropley was “being pimped yourself by an older man who you were in a relationship with”.

She was also sentenced for unrelated charges, including three of shoplifting, failing to report for community work, failing to report for court-ordered supervision and two charges of failing to answer bail.

In sentencing Cropley to six months’ jail, Judge Hollister-Jones said Fox was by far the most culpable for what occurred.

Other men who were customers of an underage sex worker were sentenced in February to home detention.

The men being sentenced in the Rotorua District Court for contracting a 13-year-old for commercial sex services are (from left) Shubham Choudhary, Nishanth Parakudiyil Prahladan and Felise Falanai. Photo / Kelly Makiha

They were Felise Falanai, 32, a Rotorua labourer, Nishanth Parakudiyil Prahladan, 24, from Tauranga, and Shubham Choudhary, 28, from Tūrangi and formerly Hamilton.

A court registrar confirmed to the Rotorua Daily Post another man who was to be sentenced in February had died. Two other men who had pleaded not guilty also died before their cases were heard.

Three further men have pleaded not guilty and will stand trial in September. Two men had their charges dismissed.

SEXUAL HARM

Where to get help:

If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

If you’ve ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:

• Call 0800 044 334

• Text 4334

• Email [email protected]

• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz

Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.