WATCH: "We've never seen anything like it before" - Police discuss sex worker industry in Peterborough
The force discusses a particularly ‘unusual case’ which was ‘quite concerning’
The vulnerable nature of sex workers in Peterborough and how the industry is policed is discussed in Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s latest podcast episode.
In it, they talk about concerns regarding “an escalating pattern of behaviour” displayed by one man that “could be putting women in danger, and officers needing to act fast”.
Episode two – entitled ‘We’ve never see anything like this before – policing Peterborough’s sex worker industry’ – has just been released.
During it, PC Sarah-Kate Watson talks about how sex working is policed and how an unusual case involving a male sex worker customer, displaying odd behaviour, was prevented from potential escalation.
“This case was very unusual, and it was a very unique thing he was doing, something we hadn’t seen before”, said PC Watson.
In the podcast, PC Watson explains how they had received reports of the man in question getting the sex workers to lick his boots, then stamping on their hand to stop them getting up. Reports also said he had attempted to shave their hair off after performing sexual acts on them and himself.
PC Watson said they faced obstacles where the sex workers wouldn’t provide the police with statements as the man had paid always them.
She added: “And while at first this behaviour may have seemed small or insignificant, it was starting to escalate, and we were concerned about where it would go next.”
"You see these crime programmes - it all starts with something very small and insignificant possibly, and then it progresses and gets ignored. And what we’re trying to do it to stop it before anything more serious happens.”
The man was subsequently issued with a two-year sexual risk order in April this year, which means he is not allowed to enter the ‘red light district’ area (Burghley Road, Park Road and Lincoln Road) between 7pm and 7am, and had to register his vehicle with them if he changed it.
This is the force’s fourth podcast series, and is available, along with previous episodes, via Youtube, Spotify and Apple