AN EBBW Vale man, who manipulated girls as young as 14 into prostitution, was jailed for 11 years yesterday.

Wayne Morris Baker, 61, of Saron Place, Ebbw Vale, appeared in Newport crown court for sentencing, having previously pleaded guilty to a total of 22 sexual offences against a number of young women and girls.

Baker admitted four counts of controlling prostitution for gain, three of procuring a girl under 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse, three of taking indecent photographs of children, three of inciting prostitution for gain and two of making indecent images of children.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of controlling child prostitution, two of keeping a brothel used for prostitution, one of inciting child pornography, one of supplying a controlled drug and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Elwen Evans QC said Baker used the guise of his “quasi-legitimate” businesses, Mayfair Models, Mayfair Escort Agency and Mayfair Adult Promotions to attract girls and the girls’ backgrounds and circumstances made them vulnerable to a “predatory manipulator” like Baker, who would tell them how much money they could make by being an escort.

The court heard Baker ran a brothel from his own home between 2004 and February last year, charging around £120 an hour.

Ms Evans said the brothel could make up to £80,000 a year.

Baker’s counsel, Peter Murphy QC told the court Baker, who spent most of his life working in steelworks until an industrial accident in 1994, ran the brothel alongside his legitimate building business.

Mr Murphy said Baker had not coerced the girls into the sexual acts and some of the girls had worked as prostitutes before meeting Baker.

Judge David Morris said: “You are a man with an obsession with sex and more disturbingly you are also a man who has a compulsion to control and degrade women for sexual purposes.”

Baker was sentenced to 11 years in prison and will be supervised for a further four years after he is released. He was disqualified from working with children and ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Baker will also be the subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

DI Bill Davies, who led the two-year investigation, said: “Baker preyed on those girls who were young and vulnerable, drawing them into a life that, thankfully they are now out of, but will never truly really recover from. I would like to pay tribute to the victims who have shown real courage in coming forward to give evidence.”

Interview with victim of child brothel owner, Wayne Baker