Brothel Boss Edwina Kalay Jailed for Running Eight Sex Dens and Laundering £120k
Edwina Kalay, 59, has been slammed with a hefty prison sentence after admitting to managing eight brothels and laundering nearly £100,000 through her bank accounts. The Exeter Crown Court sentenced her on Monday 8 March to two years and eight months behind bars for brothel management, plus concurrent sentences for money laundering and possession of criminal property.
Family Affair: Son and Husband Also Caught Up in Prostitution Scam
Kalay’s son, Richard Christian, 33, pleaded guilty to helping run five Exeter brothels and laundering over £17,000. He avoided jail but landed an 18-month suspended sentence and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
Meanwhile, Kalay’s husband Michael Stockwell, 70, admitted laundering more than £16,000 linked to the brothels. He received a nine-month suspended jail term.
How They Did It: Lies, Fake Names, and Secret Brothels
- The family used fake names like ‘Lucy Sumner’ and ‘Emre Rana’ to register council tax and rent flats across Exeter and Torquay.
- They sub-let properties as brothels, charging sex workers up to £500 a week per room.
- Text messages showed Kalay and her son actively managing the brothels and threatening workers who complained.
- The flats hosted women from Thailand and Eastern Europe, some posing as tourists or students.
- Police got involved after neighbours reported suspicious activity and a police 999 call revealed violence at one flat.
Police Crack Down, Assets to Be Confiscated
Police executed multiple raids in March 2020, shutting down two active brothels. Officers found evidence linking Kalay, Christian, and Stockwell to the illegal trade.
Detective Inspector Mike Jones said: “Our priority was safeguarding the sex workers and targeting those who exploit others. We don’t criminalise sex workers but will go after exploiters.”
A confiscation hearing will be held later this year to strip the family of assets believed connected to the crime under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Financial Investigator Paul Manifield added: “Kalay was the mastermind, with her son collecting cash rents and managing premises. Stockwell laundered the money through his accounts. Their greed showed little regard for the women’s wellbeing.”
This family’s tangled web of lies and exploitation finally unravelled under police scrutiny – with serious jail time now handed down.
