

Victorian Sex Work Scandal: The Prince And The Telegraph Boys
Jul 22, 2025
Join John Scott, Head of the School of Justice at Queensland University of Technology and an expert on male sex work, as he unravels the Cleveland Street scandal of 1889. This shocking incident revealed a web of male sex workers hidden within London's elite, igniting public outrage and media frenzy. John dives into the complexities of societal attitudes towards male versus female sex work, exposing issues of class and power dynamics. Discover how this scandal continues to shape perceptions of sex work and the inequalities still present today.
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Cleveland Street Scandal Unveiled
- The Cleveland Street scandal revealed a hidden network of male sex work involving powerful men including aristocrats.
- Telegraph boys, young male messengers, were exploited by wealthy clients, exposing class and legal tensions of the era.
Investigation Uncovers Brothel
- A police constable investigating theft found a telegraph boy with unusually large cash holdings, uncovering male sex work.
- The boy named Charles Hemond, who ran a male brothel at 19 Cleveland Street, exposing a hidden world.
Legislation Behind Prosecutions
- The Law Criminal Amendment Act 1885 criminalized gross indecency between men, expanding legal grounds beyond sodomy.
- This law underpinned prosecutions in the scandal, marking a shift in legal focus toward homosexual acts.