From an Italian newspaper:
http://ilpiccolo.gelocal.it/dettaglio/tenutario-di-giorno-testimone-di-geova-di-sera/1845231
Translation:
Running a brothel during the day, Jehovah’s Witness in the evening
The police investigation led up to the arrest of three people. One of them, M. F., 49, had a prominent role within the Jehovah’s Witness community up to the evening before his arrest.
TRIESTE. In day-time, with two accomplices, he run a brothel disguised by beauty salon. In the evenings and on holidays, as a Jehovah’s Witness minister, he preached strict respect of the Christian morality and obedience to Bible precepts. M. F., one of the three people arrested under the charge of prostitution’s exploitation at the end of the police investigation, led a double life.
The investigation led to the confiscation of the apartment where, according to the detectives, dozens of customers met the women every week. M. F., 49, employee at the local Medicine University, had a prominent role within the Jehovah’s Witnesses community up to the evening before his arrest (community from which a “judicial committee”, a kind of internal court, could soon expel him). He had the status of “congregation elder” and was particularly active in the Monfalcone Kingdom Hall, and was a renown speaker.
Besides giving talks at the Trieste Assembly Hall, he was often invited as a speaker in greater meetings. His talks often focused on moral obligations. Obligations that he himself, if the charges against him are confirmed, has blatantly violated by his partnership with the other two people arrested: E. S., deemed the “mind” of the business, and her live-in partner A.V. According to the investigation, the trio exerted a total control on the girls who offered their sexual services.
Those who tried to get out from under the yoke to set up on their own, were heavily threatened. One of the young prostitutes told the detectives that one day, while she was strolling with her child, she was almost run down by a van driven by a friend of the trio, apparently recruited to scare the girl and convince her not to leave.
The trio tried to make life impossible to those who managed to leave the confiscated beauty salon, by denouncing them to the police or pointing them out as prostitutes to the neighbors in the buildings where they entertained their customers. All of this in order to kill competition and keep a kind of monopoly in their business. A business that, according to the investigation, yielded some 2000 euros per week, thanks to the continual coming and going of customers of any kind.
Men ready to pay from 100 to 300 euros for a tantric massage with many extras. That business was going fine is further proved by the money, some 10.000 euros cash, found in the home of one of the arrested individuals. The search of the premises has also ascertained the presence of hashish in the home of A.V.. A fourth man is investigated for letting the prostitutes use his flat in exchange of free 'services'.
(January 30, 2010)