Lisburn Man Sentenced to Two Years for Human Trafficking and Paying for Sexual Services

A 74-year-old individual has been handed a two-year prison sentence after being found guilty of human trafficking and remunerating a prostitute for sexual acts. Kenneth David Harvey, who is presently incarcerated at Maghaberry prison for comparable crimes, received his sentencing at Belfast Crown Court. Harvey, a resident of Old Road in Lisburn, was informed that his term would be split evenly between time spent in custody and time spent on licence. He admitted guilt to one count of human trafficking, which occurred between 1 January and 30 June 2020. Harvey confessed that within this timeframe, he “arranged or facilitated the travel” of the woman, intending for her “being exploited”. Additionally, Harvey entered a guilty plea for three charges of paying for sexual services, committed between 1 January and 30 June 2020. Before the imposition of the sentence, prosecuting barrister Samantha Madden informed Judge Gordon Kerr KC that the victim had contacted the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in March 2023. In an interview, the victim stated her acquaintance with Harvey stemmed from her work as a prostitute in Belfast’s Bankmore Street car park vicinity. She recounted three distinct occurrences in 2020 where Harvey drove her in his vehicle to various places for the purpose of engaging in sexual relations with her. Harvey transported her by car to an alleyway situated in Belfast’s Botanic area, where sexual activity took place, and she received approximately £40 for this. She further stated that during the second instance, she encountered Harvey in a car park, he then drove her to his residence, and she was compensated £60 for the sexual encounter. She also informed police about a third event where she was again driven to Harvey’s house, accompanied by another woman, and was paid £70 to take part in a threesome. Ms Madden noted that the woman was a heroin addict during that period and was under the influence of drugs on all three reported occasions. When police questioned Harvey regarding these allegations, he acknowledged regularly visiting the Bankmore Street car park and being aware of prostitution activities in that vicinity. He also conceded that the complainant had been inside his home but asserted that he had never engaged in sexual intercourse with her. A trial began in Belfast the previous month, during which Harvey altered his position and pleaded guilty to all four charges brought against him. Ms Madden characterized the victim as “vulnerable” and referenced Harvey’s “identical offending,” for which he is presently serving a prison term. The judge stated that he had taken into account the defence arguments concerning Harvey, which were presented by barrister Richard McConkey KC. In addition to the two-year sentence, Judge Kerr issued a five-year restraining order, prohibiting Harvey from making contact with his victim. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.