Eyewitness Bali – A man who trafficked a 17-year-old girl from Indonesia to Australia for sex work will spend up to six years and five months in jail, after a Sydney judge found he had demonstrated no genuine remorse.
Surya Subekti was today handed a non-parole period of four years and five months in the NSW District Court and told his earliest release date is November 2030, before being taken into custody.
The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to two charges, including organising the entry of a person under the age of 18 into Australia with the intention of providing sexual services, and causing a person under 18 to engage in forced labour.
Subekti’s charges carried maximum penalties of 25 years and 12 years, respectively.
His lawyers had argued the victim travelled to Australia voluntarily, knowing the contractual obligations, and was above the age of consent.
Victim instructed to lie about age
Judge Nicole Noman noted the victim was a child under Australian law, and the age of consent for sex work is 18.
That meant her ability to enter into a contractual obligation and consent to selling sexual services would not be regarded as informed consent, the judge said.
Subekti knew the victim was 17 and provided instructions about how to avoid her age being detected.
He was “instrumental” in the teenager being trafficked, helping organise the contract, the visa, the transport and her attendance at nominated brothels for about two months.
“The victim was entirely dependent on the arrangements made for her,” Judge Noman said, noting the teenager would have been isolated in a foreign country without support.
‘Full financial control’
According to the agreed facts, Subekti was informed about the victim by “associates in Indonesia” and knew her visa was based on material that included “materially false information”.
This included that she was “the child of an unrelated adult woman”.
The victim arrived in January 2021 and remained in forced labour at Sydney brothels as Subekti assumed or facilitated “full financial control” over her income, according to the facts.
He also controlled when and where to move her, and was a decision-maker or at least a participant in creating a contract which demanded she work for up to 12 hours a day.
In a victim impact statement before the court, the teenager said prior to coming to Australia, she was happy, had never experienced trauma and would be described by friends as a cheerful person.
She described initially being afraid of travelling because she had never been to the country and didn’t speak the language.
“However, I built up the courage to go, as it was important for me to be able to make my own money. I had a lot of hope for my future,” the teenager said.
Once she arrived, she said she was not allowed to go anywhere alone and felt she was being monitored and controlled at all times.
“The type of work was a shock to my body,” she said.
She endured blood loss over a period of one month, suffered “terrible stomach cramps” and at one point became so unwell she had trouble walking.
“I didn’t become aware of the extent of my illness until I was taken to hospital, where I was diagnosed as having a sexually transmitted infection.”
She told the court, through her statement, that she finds herself becoming upset over “the tiniest things”, is easily angered, and often replays the raid in her head.
Wanted to be known as ‘Batman’
Subekti’s co-offender, driver Elton Valentino, admitted to one count of facilitating the transport of a person under 18 to provide sexual services, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years.
He told police that Subekti instructed him to not disclose Subekti’s real name to women he transported and refer only to Subekti as “Batman”.
Valentino, 32, was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail with a minimum of one year and 10 months for transporting the victim around for shifts.
The court heard that when speaking to a psychologist, Subekti claimed he was “reluctant” to be involved in the trafficking, but the victim had been “insistent”.
“This does not accord with the agreed facts,” the judge said, describing him as not a reliable historian.
“I do not accept there to be genuine remorse for the conduct.”
The court heard that Subekti, a father of three, maintained support from his family, who were unaware that he had a gambling problem.
Judge Noman said his prospects of rehabilitation were “uncertain” and his offending was “not impetuous but well-planned”.
The court heard Valentino considered Subekti to be a “father figure” and was told by him that all women in brothels were over 18. He played no role in bringing the victim to Australia.
The judge found Valentino, who has been in custody since October 2024, had good prospects of rehabilitation and had demonstrated genuine remorse.
With time already served, he may be released as early as August this year, when he will enter into a five-year good-behaviour bond.
