Sex for Rent: The Argus confronts man over Craigslist advert

The Argus launched an investigation after spotting an online advert aimed at women who had lost their jobs due to the “scamdemic” and were “unable to pay rent or even buy food”.

The man, who said he was aged 42 and called himself Gary, posted the advert saying he wanted someone to move into his family home in Worthing and have sex with him on a "regular basis”.

He said he wanted a “sex partner/girlfriend” to live with him and his wife, 37, while they “raise kids in Islam” and made it clear that the family “will not be getting any vaccine” and “are prepared to fight the government on this”.

The Argus went undercover posing as a 19-year-old girl in need of a place to stay and arranged to meet Gary. When we confronted him he claimed we were “the enemy of freedom”.

He later contacted our reporter on Facebook to say that if they ever met again, it may be our reporter's "last day on this planet". Sussex Police have been made aware of both this message and the original advert.

The updated advert looked for a woman to become a "sex partner/girlfriend" in return for free accommodation

The Crown Prosecution Service has said that “ sex for rent” could under certain circumstances amount to an offence under section 52 of the sexual offences act 2003.

Gary has not been arrested or charged.

The Argus launched an investigation after spotting the post online on the classified advertisement website Craigslist.

The website has been criticised before for similar adverts.

Hove MP Peter Kyle said it "makes his blood boil".

READ MORE>> Watch as Worthing Sex For Rent seller is confronted

He said: "If people act like pimps, they should be treated like pimps. Whether they are low life kerb crawlers or Californian, frappucino-swilling, sandal-wearing tech gurus.

"They are utter low-life.

"Any time I see photographs of Craigslist executives living the highlife it makes my blood boil, because their money is often coming from peddling misery and turning a blind eye to it.

"I think they are utterly amoral."

The Argus repeatedly contacted Craigslist for comment.

The original advert on Craigslist said: “Scamdemic taken your work? Unable to pay rent or even buy food? Thousands are in the same situation worrying about their future or lack of.

“We are looking for someone to join our family as a loved partner. Not a slave or an object but someone who will be cared for, protected and loved like a member of the family.”

These lines were later removed with the post updated to include more explicit details.

“We offer free housing with no bills all within a drug and alcohol free stable loving family home,” the advert said.

“We are wanting a woman to live in our home with us and become a sex partner/girlfriend.”

The advert offered a “large clean corner sofa (with potential to have a bedroom should things go well)”.

Gary arranged to meet The Argus outside Worthing train station

Within minutes of The Argus responding to the advert, Gary sent a topless image of himself to our undercover reporter.

The Argus asked to see a picture of his wife. He sent an image taken from a distance showing a woman and some children in a playground.

A meeting was arranged outside Worthing train station on Monday at 4pm, Gary saying he would arrive in a grey hoodie to hide his "messy hair".

READ MORE >> Sex for Rent: Moment The Argus confront Worthing seller

Gary arrived at exactly one minute before the hour, walking towards the train station with his hood up.

When we revealed that he had been talking to The Argus, Gary asked the two reporters "to come over here and talk".

He then tried to grab a phone on which we were recording video footage but was unsuccessful.

Gary claimed that it was the first time he had attempted to make a sex for rent arrangement.

He was asked if it felt morally right to offer free rent in return for sex with a 19-year-old girl.

Gary said: "Does it say you're forced or did I say at any point we want you to want this, we don't want to force anybody.

"Tell me that.

"I would say that if she is over 18, that would be her legal choice and her legal right, would it not?

"At the moment, you are the enemy of freedom.

"So in your eyes, you think that what, a prostitute is also doing a bad thing because she is selling?

"Is she doing it for free or is she getting something out of it?

"So therefore what does it count as?

"It counts as a contract."

The sofa that Kathryn Haistings would have slept on

Gary refused to keep a safe distance during the incident.

A crowd started to gather outside the station and The Argus left the scene to avoid further disruption.

After the meeting the reference to sex was removed from the advert.

In 2018, the Crown Prosecution Service issued revised guidance on "prostitution and exploitation of prostitution offences" to include "sex for rent" cases.

Under Section 52 and 53 of the Sexual Offences act, such an arrangement could be committing an offence.

Section 53 of the Sexual Offences Act states that a person is committing an offence if someone "intentionally controls any of the activities of another person relating to that person’s prostitution in any part of the world and does so for or in the expectation of gain for himself or a third party."

Gain can be "any financial advantage including the discharge of an obligation to pay or the provision of goods or services (including sexual services)".

READ MORE >> Sex for Rent: Peter Kyle slams Criagslist as 'amoral'

While it is an offence under Section 52 if a person "intentionally causes or incites another person to become a prostitute in any part of the world, and does so for or in the expectation of gain for himself or third party."

Last month, the first known sex for rent case of its kind to appear in court was heard at Staines Magistrates' Court.

Christopher Cox, 52, is alleged to have posted adverts on Craigslist looking for young or homeless women to stay with him at his home in Cranleigh, Surrey.

He allegedly asked them to provide sexual favours in return for a room.

He is due to appear at Guildford Crown Court.