A husband and wife were yesterday tried by Phnom Penh Municipal Court over allegations of offering illegal prostitution, including by minors, from their massage shop in the capital.

Presiding judge Ly Sok Leng said that the two, who were arrested in June, were charged with “procurement with aggravating circumstances” for profiting from sexual services provided by eight women and girls.

“They allowed massage girls who worked in shop to have sex with guests for a fee of $10 to $20 in exchange for a commission from them,” he said.

A police officer working with Phnom Penh’s anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection unit, Ly Sreng, said that police identified the outlet after an undercover officer went to get a massage there.

“Police later raided the shop while some of the massage girls were having sex with clients in rooms,” he said, noting that they detained eight women aged 14 to 21 years, all of whom were later released.

At trial, both the accused denied the charges and asked to be released, maintaining that they did not know of or permit any sexual activity in their shop.