Undercover police enjoy free sex in Hong Kong: Report

HONG KONG - Complaints by prostitutes in Hong Kong against police officers for using sex services while on undercover operations have surged in 2010, a news report said Saturday.

Forty-three complaints have been made to a sex workers’ help group about officers having sex services compared to just 10 complaints last year, the South China Morning Post reported.

In one case, a Hong Kong police officer visited the same prostitute for sex services 10 times before arresting her for vice offences, the help group Zi Teng claimed.

Police guidelines in Hong Kong allow officers to pay for sex services that stop short of full intercourse while collecting evidence to support charges of illegal prostitution.

The controversial policy has been criticised by Zi Teng and some legislators who say it is abused by some officers who pay for an unnecessarily high number of sexual services before making an arrest.