A father called Richard Paybody decided to put his name to good use and run a brothel at his home, a court heard.

Police raided the house in Seal Road, Sevenoaks, on October 15 last year to investigate a website called Ping Ping.

They found a Chinese woman in her early 40s in one of the bedrooms working as a prostitute.

She said she did a general massage and would “make love if requested”. She added that the fees were split with Paybody.

He admitted keeping a brothel but a judge spared him an immediate jail sentence because he was not involved in trafficking or coercion.

The 62-year-old was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years and will have to attend alcohol treatment and supervision.

A tagged curfew from 7pm to 7am was imposed for three months.

Prosecutor Trevor Wright told Maidstone Crown Court the website claimed to offer escorts, as well as “Oriental massage and other services”. Business cards were also handed out.

"If there had been any evidence of trafficking or coercion the sentence would have been very different..." - Judge Philip St John-Stevens

Officers discovered the phone number given was registered to Paybody. When arrested on October 15 last year, he admitted: “I will be honest, this is a brothel.”

Christopher Surtees-Jones, defending, said Paybody’s four “professional” adult children were disgusted about what he had been up to.

“He has held down jobs of some responsibility and there has been on and off employment,” he said. “There has been excessive alcohol consumption.

“He is due to attend an alcoholics support group in the next day of two if in the position to do so. That addiction has caused immense problems in his life.

“He didn’t go to his children for help because of pride. That pride is now punctured. Some money was made, but very little as far as he was concerned.”

Judge Philip St John-Stevens said that it had to be understood that such prostitutes usually came from a background of trafficking.

“If there had been any evidence of trafficking or coercion the sentence would have been very different,” he added.

Paybody was ordered to pay £580 prosecution costs and £440 was confiscated.