Two men who operated brothels in Gillingham and Maidstone have been spared jail.

A judge allowed Piotr Piekarski and Przemyslaw Socha, who are both Polish, to walk free after finding there was no exploitation, threats, control or coercion of prostitutes.

Maidstone Crown Court heard a brothel in Montgomery Road, Gillingham, was discovered after police raided another in Higham Close, Tovil, and closed it down.

Two female sex workers had simply transferred to the new premises.

Prosecutor Ian Foinette said Socha, 37, rented the houses and Piekarski, 35, worked for him, collecting the cash proceeds.

Officers searched their homes and discovered money and paperwork linking them to the brothels.

Adverts were also found for sexual services provided by young Polish women.

In text messages between the two men, Socha moaned about the sex business not being as lucrative as it had been.

“I’ve had enough of these brothels – no money, only stress,” he said in one text in July 2016.

“It was so good before. Now, it is only for rent.”

When the Maidstone address was raided in September 2016, Piekarski fled over a garden fence, but was arrested nearby.

Two women were there and boxes of condoms, “assorted sex toys” and envelopes containing cash were found.

Piekarski’s Audi A6 was parked outside. A Mercedes was parked outside his home.

When officers raided Socha’s London home he was burning documents on the barbecue. Some recovered related to the Gillingham house.

There was a reference to “lovely hot Sonia”, boxes of condoms and over £11,000 in the bedroom.

Judge Julian Smith described the sex trade as “morally reprehensible and exploitable”.

Piekarski and Socha admitted two offences of keeping a brothel.

Piekarski, of Grove Road, Chatham, and Socha, of Manor Road, Leyton, east London, also admitted possessing criminal property.

Socha has convictions for possessing class A drugs in 2008 and assault causing actual bodily harm in 2010. Piekarski has no previous convictions.

Socha was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months with 240 hours unpaid work.

Piekarski was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for 18 months with 180 hours unpaid work.

"The fact is this was a cynical and calculated financial decision as demonstrated by texts between you" - Judge Julian Smith

Anthony Waller, for Socha, said his client’s partner used to work in the sex industry.

“He is not a gangster,” he said.

“He is there to make some money. The premises were very clean.

"We are not looking at a sordid situation one automatically imagines.”

Socha had a tattoo and car hire business.

“He does have his own independent income,” said Mr Waller.

But Judge Smith said each of the men chose to make a profit, “if not an entire living”, out of the brothels.

“The fact is this was a cynical and calculated financial decision as demonstrated by texts between you,” he said.

“There is remorse but I feel this is more to do with personal shame and embarrassment.”