Police are warning teenagers involved in compensated dating that they could be arrested for soliciting and face a jail sentence.
John Lee Ka-chiu, police director of crime and security, gave this warning yesterday during a briefing on crime statistics. It came just three days after Ting Kai-tai, 24, was jailed for life for killing a compensated-dating girl, Kiki Wong Ka-mui, 16, then beheading and dismembering her body. Her head was never found.
There was no legal definition of 'compensated dating', but there were laws that could be applied, Mr Lee said. 'Using a website or chat room to seek or offer sex services are against the law and are controlled by existing laws.'
The Crime Ordinance states that a person who, in a public place or in public view, solicits for any immoral purpose or loiters for the purpose of soliciting for any immoral purpose is guilty of an offence. This is punishable by a HK$10,000 fine and six months' jail.
Mr Lee warned that compensated-dating girls could be committing this offence by uploading pictures and words to online discussion forums to advertise their services.
Compensated dating is a thinly disguised form of prostitution in which girls provide companionship and sex to men for gifts and money.