THE woman at the centre of the biggest investigation into prostitution in Southampton is facing jail.

Sharon Moir had always denied she ran a prostitution ring through her city-based Panache Escort Agency but yesterday jurors took less than three hours to convict her on all but one of the charges against her.

The 47-year-old madam was found guilty on three charges of running brothels, one charge of inciting prostitution for personal gain and three charges of controlling prostitution for personal gain.

A further charge of running a brothel in Alcantara Crescent, Ocean Village, had already been thrown out by the judge due to insufficient evidence while the mother-of-two was found not guilty on a fifth brothel charge relating to a property in Emperor House, also in Ocean Village.

Throughout the two-week trial, Southampton Crown Court had heard how Moir employed hundreds of girls over four years and had been charging customers, who came from across Hampshire, £150 an hour for a date with them.

Though she always maintained she was only charging the men for the girl's time, the jury rejected her claim and found she had been selling at least four girls for sex.

They described how she would offer them to punters for sex and say they could charge the men more for degrading or unusual activities.

The court also heard how she had allowed the girls to sleep with the men in four properties she owned or had access to, including her own home, and had been making thousands of pounds from her agency by taking £50 an hour from the £150 fees.

When police raided the property they found thousands of pounds along with books detailing the agency's daily dealings and the names of the punters who had booked girls, and in the bathroom a bag containing 77 condoms.

As the verdicts were read Moir sat motionless in the dock, while two of her former escort girls who had stayed to hear the verdicts hugged each other and cried.

They told the court they felt Moir ran her agency in an unsafe manner, often putting them at risk, and said they had wanted to give evidence to prevent others coming to harm.

Following the verdicts Judge Christopher Leigh released Moir, of Sholing Road, Southampton, on bail but warned her that when she returned to be sentenced next month all sentencing options, including jail, were open.

The court heard that a proceeds of crime application would now be submitted under which earnings could be reclaimed.