Prostitution Ringleader’s Sentence Doubled
The leader of an international prostitution ring has had their sentence more than doubled after the Solicitor General intervened.
Jie Zhang’s (42) sentences increased by five years after the case was referred by the Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
The court heard that Jie Zhang, from West London, was the leader of an organised crime group called ‘Cloud 9’ which operated several brothels across London between October 2015 and April 2020.
Zhang was responsible for recruiting sex-workers from East Asia and Europe, operating and advertising the brothels, and controlling where employees lived.
Criminal proceeds from prostitution were used to pay the rent on the brothels, totalling more than £450,000.
Zhang also set up a company to launder the criminal proceeds. She reported the company’s turnover as £530,000, which paved the way for Zhang to pay into her own bank accounts £180,000.
She would also pay sterling into Chinese bank accounts owned by members of Zhang’s family, before converting the currency to Chinese Yuan and then returning it to her as a gift totalling £1.48 million.
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:
This offender was the leader of a sophisticated prostitution ring. innocent women and girls were exploited and the proceeds of crime used to line the ringleader’s own pocket.
The court has quite rightly more than doubled this offender’s sentence and this case should serve as a strong warning that this government use all tools at our disposal to protect women and girls from any form of abuse.
Zhang was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to facilitate the travel of another person within the United Kingdom, with a view to exploitation, one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, four counts of possessing criminal property, one count of transferring criminal property, one count of removing criminal property from England and Wales, and one count of converting criminal property.
She was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 19 December 2024 to three years imprisonment.
Zhang’s sentence was increased to eight years on Friday 7 March 2025 at the Court of Appeal.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prostitution-ringleader-has-sentence-doubled