Turkey swinger suspects risk up to 177 years in jail

Turkish prosecutors have demanded jail sentences of up to 177 years for 29 people in the southeastern province of Adana suspected of setting up swingers' clubs, local media reported Monday.

Turkish police arrested 53 people in May on suspicion of pimping and prostitution in raids on 25 addresses in five provinces across the south and southeast, after receiving reports that patrons of swinger clubs were bringing prostitutes to the sex parties.

Of the 53 people taken in for questioning, 29 were brought to court to face charges, with 15 placed under arrest and others released pending trial.

The suspects are facing jail terms ranging from three to 177 years each for "setting up a criminal organisation with the aim of engaging in criminal activity," "prostitution," "human trafficking" and "obscenity," Dogan news agency reported.

Dogan said that the ringleader couple -- a 25-year-old university student and his girlfriend -- initially used social media to organise wife-swapping parties for married couples free of charge.

They later rented a luxury villa to host customers, including single men "who do not want to randomly hire prostitutes" from the neighbouring provinces of Mersin, Kayseri, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.

The couple, who did not accept customers from Adana for security reasons, charged the single men 1,000 Turkish Liras ($360 dollars, or 328 euros) for each swingers' party, Dogan said.

The suspects include a married woman, who told the police she accepted money for sex -- with her husband's blessing -- in order to support her destitute father.