Chinese Student Nurse Jailed Over 'Massage Parlour'

A Chinese student nurse has been jailed for four months over running a brothel disguised as a massage parlour.

Jing Jing Wang, a Chinese national, was jailed for four months yesterday at Kilkenny District Court after she pleaded guilty to managing and operating the brothel in the city and was fined €900.

The court was told how Ms Wang, who had been in the country on a student visa, had advertised her services in the guise of a Chinese massage parlour in local papers.

Gardaí became suspicious of the ads as they only offered a mobile telephone number and no land line, and an investigation was launched.

Two undercover gardaí contacted the businesses undercover and were offered sexual services when they contacted Ms Wang.

Insp Heffernan told the court the two officers had told Ms Wang "they would return" after being offered sex, "but obviously they didn't".

Insp Heffernan told Judge William Harnett that Ms Wang had been turning over €900 a day through the business which was run out of Colliers Lane, Kilkenny city, for around five weeks.

John Harte, solicitor for Ms Wang, said his client had been living in Ireland for two years and that she had trained as a nurse in China for four years.

He said Ms Wang had taken a nursing course in Dublin but that she wanted to do a second one which cost €11,000.

Mr Harte added that his client "deeply regrets" her decision to become involved and comes from a "respectable family" in China and has no previous criminal record.

(DW/JM)