Dear Ms Leung,
This is to acknowledge receipt of your email dated 15 January 2020.  Since
the Hong Kong Police Force would have some of the information requested,
if you agree, we will refer your email to the Hong Kong Police Force for
handling and direct reply.  If you have no objection to the referral,
please give us a reply.  

Yours sincerely,
Ken So
for Secretary for Security

From:        Helen Leung <[FOI #443 email]>
To:        FOI requests at Security Bureau <[Security Bureau request email]>,
Date:        15/01/2020 17:45
Subject:        Freedom of Information request - Commercial Sex Industry
in Hong Kong

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Dear Security Bureau,

I would like to know the following regarding the commercial sex industry
in Hong Kong.

I. Arrest of sex workers and pimps
1. How many anti-vice operations were conducted in Hong Kong in the past 5
years, involving how many premises in HK? What is the district breakdown
of these operations?
2. How many people were arrested for (i) Living on Earnings of
Prostitution, (ii) Keeping a Vice Establishment, (iii) Detention of Person
in Vice Establishment and (iv) Soliciting for an immoral purpose per year
in the past 5 year? What is the (i) gender, (ii) age and (iii) nationality
breakdown of the people arrested for per offence?
3. How many migrant sex workers were arrested for ‘breach of condition of
stay’ per year in the past 5 years?
a. What is the (i) gender, (ii) age and (iii) nationality breakdown of the
people arrested for this offence per year in the past 5 years?
b. What immigration visa were they in possession of when arrested?
4. What strategies do the Police use to identify victims of sex
trafficking in these operations? How many victims were identified in the
past 5 years?

II. One-woman brothels
5. Which districts are the one-prostitute-apartments most densely located
in?
6. How do vice syndicates recruit and arrange migrant sex workers to work
in one-woman brothels?
7. Which nationalities are sex workers working in one-woman brothels most
commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic
profile(s)?
8. How do vice syndicates exercise control over sex workers in one-woman
brothels?
9. How common are vice syndicates known to have a triad background?

III. Vice Establishments / ‘Japanese Style Massage Parlours’
10. Which districts are vices establishments commonly found in Hong Kong?
11. What is the layout of these vice establishments?
12. What is the known number of vice establishments controlled by triad
syndicates?
13. How are sex workers recruited to work in vice estabilshments?
14. How do pimps maintain control over sex workers in vice establishments?
15. Which nationalities are sex workers working in vice establishments
most commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic
profile(s)?
16. How many sex workers operate in the vice establishment at one time?
17. How many customers can vice establishments host at one time?
18. Are migrant sex workers more likely to come under the control of
pimps?
19. What are the main differences between ‘independent’ or voluntary sex
workers and those under the control of their pimps?
a. What additional challenges and vulnerabilities do sex workers face if
they are under the control of pimps?
b. For sex workers under the control of pimps, to what extent are they
more likely to work in multiple vice establishments on demand?

IV. Sex Services Offered in Hotels
20. Which nationalities are sex workers working in hotels most commonly
from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
21. Which districts are these hotels most commonly found in Hong Kong?
22. What immigration status (e.g. visitors status) are these sex workers
most likely under?
23. How do vice syndicates operate and manage the selling of sexual
services in hotel rooms?
a. How do they recruit sex workers?
b. Where do they post advertisements to attract clients?
c. How do call centers work?
d. How do vice syndicates (with triad backgrounds) avoid being tracked
down?
e. How common is it for these vice syndicates to have a triad background?

V. Saunas and Karaoke Bars
24. Which districts are saunas and karaoke bars providing sex services
commonly found in Hong Kong?
25. Which nationalities are sex workers working in saunas and karaoke bars
most commonly from?
26. What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
27. How do operators recruit sex workers to work in saunas and karaoke
bars?
28. How are sex services provided in saunas and karaoke bars?
What strategies are used to disguise the provision of sex services to
avoid being caught by the Police?
29. How do operators manage (or control) sex workers working in saunas and
karaoke bars?
30. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do operators take?

VI. Nightclubs
31. Which districts are nightclubs most commonly found in?
32. Which nationalities are sex workers working in nightclubs most
commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic
profile(s)?
33. How do operators recruit sex workers to work in nightclubs?
34. How are sex services solicited or provided in nightclubs?
35. How do pimps arrange sex workers to patron in nightclubs to attract
male customers?
36. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?
37. What venues are sex services most commonly provided in after
solicitation at nightclubs?

VII. Street Prostitutes
38. Which nationalities are sex workers soliciting customers on the street
most commonly from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic
profile(s)?
39. Which districts do street sex workers most commonly solicit customers?
40. Where do street sex workers provide sexual services after a deal is
struck?
41. How do vice syndicates recruit street prostitutes?
42. How might street sex workers be controlled by pimps? How common is it
for street prostitutes to be controlled?
43. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

VIII. Go Go Bars
44. Which nationalities do sex workers in Go Go bars predominantly come
from? What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
45. Which districts are Go Go bars predominantly located in?
46. How do sex workers in Go Go bars attract customers?
47. What venues are sex services provided after solicitation at Go Go
bars?
48. How do vice syndicates manage sex workers at Go Go bars?
49. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

IX. Freelance
50. Which nationalities are freelance sex workers predominantly from? What
is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
51. What venues do freelance sex workers most commonly solicit and provide
sex services in?
52. Who are the main clientele for freelance sex workers?

X. Compensated Dating
53. Which nationalities are sex workers in compensated dating
predominantly from?
54. What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
55. How common are underaged girls involved in compensated dating?
56. How do sex workers attract customers? Where do sex workers advertise
for clients?
57. Which social media discussion forums? How are sex workers classified
and categorized in these forums?
58. How do sex workers negotiate deals with customers? (e.g. social media,
hotels, motels)
59. How do agents control and coordinate sex workers in compensated
dating?
60. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

XI. Private Brothels
61. Which districts are private brothels most commonly located in?
62. What type of buildings or venues are private brothels found in?
63. Which nationalities are sex workers working in private brothels from?
What is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?
64. In what ways do the operations of private brothels differ from
one-woman brothels?
65. How are sex services provided in private brothels?
66. How are customers screened before being allowed to enter brothels?
67. What tactics do vice syndicates employ to distance themselves
physically from the actual operation of the vice business to minimize the
exposure and avoid being identified/arrested by the Police?
68. Are there operators stationed inside the brothels? What managing roles
do sex workers also play in private brothels?
69. What strategies do operators adopt to control and coordinate sex
workers in private brothels?
70. How do operators collect money from sex workers?
71. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?

XII. Unlicensed Massage Parlours
72. How are sex services provided in unlicensed massage parlours, foot
massage parlours and salons?
73. What tactics do vice syndicates use to disguise the provision of sex
services? How do operators remain discreet?
74. How do vice syndicates manage and coordinate sex workers?
75. What % of the sex worker’s earnings do vice syndicates take?
76. Which districts are these venues most commonly located in?
77. Which nationalities are sex workers working in these venues from? What
is the most common age group(s) or demographic profile(s)?

Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,
Helen Leung

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