Lesbian madam who made a fortune running a ‘high class’ escort agency in upmarket area of London is ordered to repay just £35k of her profits
Woman who lured young athlete into prostitution will not have to pay back anywhere near the £500k profit they made
A LESBIAN madam who ran a "high class" escort agency serving London's most upmarket areas has been ordered to pay back less than £35,000 of her profits.
Tatiana Shmyrova exploited a talented Bulgarian athlete after she was lured to Britain with the promise of a new life.
The 47-year-old and business partner Natalia Cannon, 36, advertised sex workers online before spending their profits on lavish luxuries - including a Chelsea apartment.
Shmyrova was jailed for a total of eight years while Cannon was jailed for six years after a trial in 2014.
The pair were said to have raked in more than £500,000 in profits but must repay just £84,948.49 after a hearing under the Proceeds of the Crime Act at Southwark Crown Court today.
The young athlete, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was forced into prostitution by the madam who at the time was running a “ruthless” sex ring in the capital.
According to MailOnline, during Shmyrova’s trial in 2014 the court heard how the former runner sobbed as she told the jury that she was promised a “well paid” job as a tour guide while in reality she was made to sell herself.
Shmyrova had exploited the woman after she had a holiday romance with her son Artyom.
The bullish ringleader is said to have advertised the sex workers on a website operated by Cannon and her estranged husband William, 52, who used the earnings to fund a lavish lifestyle.
The ring is said to have included Michael Poole, 28, who was hired by Shmyrova as a ‘fixer’ to ensure that prostitutes were ready and willing to carry out clients’ demands.
The woman, 34, told the court that before her flight in November 2012, she gave all her money including her savings to her lover Artyom.
Giving evidence from behind a screen, the Bulgarian woman who had been a promising athlete securing a national long distance record as a teenager said: "He said I don't need any money when I come here, so when I arrived in London I did not have a penny even - I was vulnerable.
"I was scared, I didn't know what is going to happen because he did not explain anything to me.
"I told him many times I am not going to work that kind of job. I repeated that many, many times. I remember, I will never forget that."
On the profits of the sex ring Cannon was said to have indulged in shopping binges at Harrods - splashing out on designer brands such as Versace and Prada, as well as Cartier jewellery.
The 34-year-old, who is accused of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, also lived in a £1.5million Chelsea Harbour apartment that she rented for £2,200-a-month.
Russian-born Shmyrova was said to be a central part of the lucrative business that ‘bartered in human beings and human bodies’.
She housed sex workers in a number of leased properties, using a network of employees to organise the "prostitutes’ diaries and lives’.
One such colleague was her ‘partner in love and work’, Irina Bespalova, 32, who arranged photo shoots of the working girls.
The madam used the internet to advertise the sex workers, having arrangements in place with a number of websites, including the Cannons’ site.
Southwark Crown Court heard that those involved in the sex ring were behind a conspiracy to traffic women to the UK from countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Russia.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said: "She was told that she would be working in a legitimate job, that she would be well paid, well treated and looked after.
"She was persuaded by promises that it would change her life for the better.
"However when she arrived, she found herself in the hands of people who operate a network of so called ‘high class’ escort agencies across London, mainly based in Kensington and Chelsea, Mayfair and other affluent areas.
Shmyrova, who lived in a gated residential block in Fulham, South West London, is said to have taken 50 per cent of the girls’ earnings, as well as charging them rent and a fee for being driven to hotels by chauffeurs.
The alleged sex ring was exposed after police launched an undercover sting in 2013.
Miss Karmy Jones added: "This case involves a sustained conspiracy, or agreement, to traffic a young woman, for the purposes of exploitation, namely to use her as a prostitute in this country.
"The rationale behind this is an obvious one - to make money for those involved in this enterprise without any thought for those they exploited to get it."
Shmyrova, Natalia Cannon and William Cannon all denied conspiracy to traffic persons into the United Kingdom for sexual exploitation.
Seven members of the gang – including Shmyrova, the Cannons, and Michael Poole – were jailed for conspiracy to control prostitution in 2014.
The lesbian madam was also found guilty of conspiracy to traffic persons into the United Kingdom for sexual exploitation.
Both she and Cannon were convicted of other offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act.