The owner of a Phnom Penh massage shop that doubled as a brothel was yesterday sentenced to two and a half years in prison, though she will serve less than half that time.

Phin Yuthy, also known as Ny, 32, was arrested during an anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection unit raid in January.

Police discovered seven female massage therapists, aged 20 to 25, doubling as prostitutes at Yuthy’s 789 Massage Shop in Sen Sok district.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Yuthy guilty but suspended more than half of the sentence it handed down to her yesterday.

“Based on the hearing and evidence, the court has found Phin Yuthy guilty. The court decided to convict her to two years and six months,” the judge, Chuon Soreasy, said.

Soreasy added, however, that only a year would be served. “The rest of her sentence has been suspended.”

During her trial on August 15, Yuthy denied charges against her. “There was no sex or prostitution,” she said.

Yuthy’s defence lawyer could not reached for comment yesterday.