THE underworld of the sex industry may seem light years away from the religious grandeur of Exeter Cathedral or the pure serenity of the white swans on the Quay.
But the hazy nighttime economy is being dragged into the bright light of day thanks to a city-based escort who wants to revolutionise sex in Britain .
Mother-of-two Charlotte Rose is a picture of respectability driving a sleek black saloon and wearing a knee-length cream dress.
But the 33-year-old – who lives in Exeter with her teenage son and daughter – pays for their daily bread by offering herself for hire as an escort and sex therapist.
“Sex is the wonderful thing of two souls sharing each other intimately. It shouldn’t be frowned upon,” she says during our chat over coffee at a manor house hotel near the city centre.
Charlotte is certainly reaping the rewards of her bold and assertive stance towards the industry as she strives to transform a ‘behind closed doors’ attitude towards sex in Britain.
“I want to make a difference. British people are so strait-laced and reserved about sex,” she comments.
“But I’m hoping to change that. The more open and honest you are with your partner, the better your relationship and sex life will become.”
She was the proud winner of the British Erotic Award for Sex Worker of the Year 2013 after first glimpsing the industry as a teenager.
Her phallic gold award was showcased to the television cameras when she recently appeared on Channel 4’s Love For Sale and was interviewed by actor Rupert Everett.
“I've always tried to work with the three P's: passion, professionalism and people,” she told the programme.
But the industry is hardly all glitz and glamour. She comments on the backlash – including death threats and violence – that other escorts have apparently received simply for their choice of profession.
“Anybody who has got that much time on their hands to do those horrible things is obviously not having good sex,” she says “Sex releases serotonin into the brain to reduce negative feelings. If they were having good sex, they would be happy.”
Charlotte, who is 5ft 10 in, began her journey in the sex trade at the tender age of 17 when she agreed to take part in a dominatrix-themed photoshoot.
After delving into the world of domination she fell pregnant and had the first of two children with her childhood sweetheart.
But – after the man she loved had an affair with a neighbour – their seven-year relationship broke down.
Charlotte left Nottingham and moved to Devon where she completed a hospitality degree at Plymouth University.
She worked in hotels and as a teacher at Exeter College, before deciding to combine two of her passions – people and sex – and become an escort.
“I detest the idea of picking someone up off in a bar. It’s dirty, seedy and you don’t get the sexual satisfaction of meeting someone sober,” she says.
Charlotte joined a local escort agency – but found herself travelling far afield to get work – and became an independent.
“I was driving all over the place – to Bude, Penzance, Bristol and Cardiff – and it was too much,” she recalls. “I was getting back at 4am or 5am and then having to take my children to school.”
Since moving to Exeter in 2007, Charlotte boasts of becoming the most expensive escort in the South West – charging £200 an hour for her services.
She claims to have slept with at least 1,000 men from all walks of life including builders, farmers, solicitors and police officers.
“I’m probably a bit of a contradiction,” she admits. “I was cheated on... but I do see married men. That’s their choice and they need to accept the consequences of those decisions.”
In spite of the blurred lines between the escort industry and the porn industry, Charlotte is adamantly not in favour of the latter.
“Porn has created a huge delusion of passion and intimacy within sex. A lot of people come to see me who are addicted to it. But it doesn’t offer any intimacy,” she says.
Her specialities include providing a service for people with physical disabilities whose ‘right to have sex’ she advocates.
“Who on this earth has the right to say a disabled person cannot have sex? No man or woman has the right to choose what other people do with their own lives,” she declares.
She is happy to see people, regardless of their physical appearance, believing all men are ‘beautiful’.
She says: “If they’re 20 stone, 50 stone or 80 stone I’m delighted to see them. The first thing I do is give them a hug.”
Ironically she admits it is hard to find herself a partner, in spite of the number of men she meets.
“I do struggle to have relationships,” she says. “When I’ve tried to date, people either say no because I’m an escort or say yes just because I’m an escort. I got dumped recently because I couldn’t spend more than two days a week with someone. It would be lovely to meet the right person.”
Because of her difficulties finding a romantic relationship, Charlotte reckons that the companionship of others in the industry is vital.
“There is a loneliness to it,” she says. “But the bonds you create with other escorts are absolutely magical and far stronger than any other friendship.”
All of her family are apparently aware of what she does for a living, including her children aged 15 and 14, because she wanted to keep an open and honest relationship with them.
“It’s my life and my decision,” she states. “I’m earning money to benefit my children’s future. If they were against it, we’d sit down and talk about it. I told my daughter about my disabled clients and she said she was proud of me.”
In response to those who complain about and criticise the industry, she remains forthright.
“I don’t understand why people have to go around dictating their views and beliefs on others,” she says.
Being in the sex industry has not always been easy for Charlotte who was the victim of blackmail threats and abuse.
She recalls: “I had a client whose wife found out he was coming to see me. She came looking for me with a baseball bat, and I had to move home and office. You’ve got to be mentally strong to be an escort. ”
Now Charlotte wants to shift from the escort side of the industry to sexual training as part a big ambition to become the UK’s number one sex guru.
“I want to share all my knowledge and help people across the country to improve their sex lives,” she says.
She recently launched her sexual training courses – in which she helps couples to put passion back into their love lives.
“Unfortunately British couples lack communication and openness in the bedroom. It’s the main reason why they came to see me,” she says.
She also offers courses for individuals who are struggling to get into a relationship and have sexual relations.
“The oldest virgin who came to see me was aged 56. People of that age think they’ve missed their opportunity,” she says.
Charlotte reflects positively on her time in the sex industry that has spanned across three decades.
“I’ve been able to utilise all my experiences and learn from them to move forward in my life,” she says. “I’ve had good, I’ve had bad, but I don’t have any regrets.”
