A 74-year old Lisburn man has been jailed for a trafficking charge and three counts of paying for sexual services.
Kenneth David Harvey, who is currently serving a sentence in HMP Maghaberry for similar offences, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Monday.
From Old Road in Lisburn, the pensioner was told that his two-year sentence will be divided equally between prison and licence.
Despite his initial denials, Harvey pleaded guilty to a charge of human trafficking on dates between January 1 and June 30, 2020.
He admitted that during this period, he ‘arranged or facilitated the travel’ of a female with a view to her ‘being exploited’.
Harvey also pleaded guilty to three counts of paying for sexual services on the same dates.
The court heard the victim spoke to the PSNI in March 2023.
During an interview, she said she knew Harvey from working as a prostitute in the Bankmore Street area of Belfast.
She recalled three separate incidents in 2020 when Harvey transported her in his car to have sexual relations with her, including twice at his home.
Ms Madden revealed that at the time, the women was a heroin addict and that on all three occasions she was under the influence of drugs.
A trial commenced in Belfast last month and during this, Harvey changed his stance and admitted all four charges against him.
Ms Madden described the victim as “vulnerable” and spoke of Harvey’s “identical offending” for which he is currently serving a prison sentence.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC said he had considered defence submissions on Harvey, and as well as the two-year sentence, imposed a five-year restraining order which bans Him from contacting his victim.
