A former Canberra brothel owner has been found guilty of raping several vulnerable new recruits under the guise of training them for the sex industry.
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![Bradley Lester Grey, 54, has been found guilty of raping sex workers. Bradley Lester Grey, 54, has been found guilty of raping sex workers.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc6yvkk9sxq5guybim5xe.jpg/r81_0_1130_589_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
An ACT Supreme Court jury returned the unanimous verdicts for Bradley Lester Grey on Monday afternoon for 14 counts of rape and six counts of committing an act of indecency. It took them three days to deliberate the finding.
The 54 year old was found not guilty of a further six charges, including rape, attempted rape and acts of indecency.
Of a total of nine alleged victims, Grey was found guilty of offences on seven.
He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a trial that spanned several weeks, the court heard Grey showed a "tendency" or pattern of behaviour with new sex workers at Mitchell Mistresses.
Some of the women - who were mostly in their 20s and had "little money" - were lured in by ads for the brothel, which claimed they could make between $7000 and $10,000 a week.
One was approached on social media and flown in from overseas.
Prosecutor Trent Hickey told the court the witness realised the job wasn't what she expected when Grey picked her up at the airport "in a shitty station wagon and this grey old man came out".
Another woman described the car as the "shaggin' wagon".
At the brothel, Grey set up online profiles for the women, before taking them into the so-called "VIP room" where he photographed them in lingerie. Grey "adjusted" one woman's genitals for what he called a "tasteful nude photo", the court heard.
Afterwards, he engaged them in massage and went on to masturbate himself in front of some of the women. He forced the women into sexual acts.
Grey argued that the sexual acts were "training" for the job; particularly for women who had no experience in the sex industry.
His defence barrister, Beth Morrisroe, told the court that sex with a stranger was the first major "hurdle" for women new to working in brothels.
Grey often pitched the sexual acts as a "requirement" for staff, but the prosecution argued one witness refused him, and got the job anyway.
Mr Hickey said forcing women to perform sex acts as a condition of employment negated consent.
Grey was listed for sentence on December 10.