2 July 2024

Maristela De Souza, a Brazilian woman, has been sentenced to 10 months home detention after being charged, along with co-defendant Michael James Sloan, with aiding and abetting individuals to breach conditions of their visas. This was the result of an Immigration New Zealand (INZ) investigation into anonymous tip-offs claiming the pair were facilitating female Brazilian nationals to work as prostitutes in the sex industry while on temporary entry class visas.

Judge Bergseng delivered the sentence to De Souza on Thursday 27 June. Co-defendant Michael James Sloan is already serving 10 months home detention.

Both individuals acted as booking agents for 15 Brazilian women and arranged advertising, handled customer communication and bookings for sex workers on temporary entry class visas. Their business was mainly conducted out of motels in locations across the central North Island.

Jason Perry, MBIE National Manager Immigration Investigations, says today’s result is due to the dedicated work by investigators and serves as a strong deterrent to those who would come to New Zealand and exploit our immigration system to illegally profit from other migrants.

“De Souza deliberately flouted New Zealand immigration law, and with Sloan, facilitated the women to breach the conditions of their visas.

“While there was no indication of worker exploitation in this case, the fact remains that the women came to New Zealand and breached the conditions of their temporary entry class visas by working illegally,” said Mr Perry.

It is a condition of every temporary visa that the visa holder may not provide commercial sexual services whilst in New Zealand. These conditions are important because migrants who come to New Zealand on temporary entry class visas and work are vulnerable to exploitation and are highly unlikely to make a complaint about exploitation to authorities.

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