PICTURED | 

Face of woman (29) accused of organising prostitution and running brothels

Ms Cucoranu, of no fixed address, is charged with 16 offences

Today at 11:36

THIS is the alleged brothel-keeper accused of organised prostitution after more than 45 “vulnerable” sex workers were discovered at addresses in Dublin and Co Louth.

Lenuta Andreea Cucoranu (29) is also accused of leasing properties with forged documents and laundering more than €12,000 in crime proceeds following a garda investigation.

The case against her was further adjourned after Dublin District Court heard she has taken up bail and a garda file is being sent to the DPP.

Ms Cucoranu, of no fixed address, is charged with 16 offences – three counts of organisation of prostitution, three of brothel-keeping, six money laundering counts and four of using a false instrument.

Gardai allege that she used false documents to lease three properties for the purpose of running them as brothels.

Some €12,500 was transferred from Ms Cucoranu’s bank account in a 10-week period, while she had no known legitimate sources of income, it is alleged.

The accused was first before the court in April, when she was granted bail but was initially unable to take it up.

At her latest appearance, the court heard Ms Cucoranu was now on bail and a garda investigation file was being sent to the DPP.

At the request of her lawyer, Judge Bryan Smyth relaxed bail conditions to lift a curfew that she had been under. He adjourned the case to a date in September, for the directions of the DPP to be given.

In a contested bail hearing in April, Det Sgt Andrew Lambe said it was alleged the accused leased three properties “for the purpose of organising prostitution and operating them as brothels.”

They were allegedly leased using “specific false documents.”

According to gardai, cash was lodged by the accused and subsequently transferred to three landlords.

It was alleged that habitual prostitution was occurring at all three properties, with more than one person operating as a prostitute at each address.

The accused, who was not married and had no children, came to Ireland in 2012 and had no employment history, Det Sgt Lambe said.

He said it was a “complex and protracted investigation,” and there would be a significant number of witnesses – in excess of 45 “vulnerable individuals working in the sex trade.” There were multiple properties including ones not currently subject of charges, he said.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Amy Dudley said Ms Cucoranu was presumed innocent and had a brother and sister living in Ireland.

Judge Smyth had granted bail with conditions that she is to have no contact, directly or indirectly, including by electronic means, with any sex worker subject of the charges or the wider investigation.

She is also to have no contact with any landlord she had contacted over the last three years, and is not to be involved in organised prostitution and brothel keeping.

Ms Cucoranu has not yet entered pleas to the charges.