A former Canberra brothel owner has been jailed for more than 11 years for sexual offences committed in the name of training.

Key points: Bradley Lester Grey sexually assaulted seven women who worked at his brothel, under the guise of "training" them

Bradley Lester Grey sexually assaulted seven women who worked at his brothel, under the guise of "training" them The 55-year-old also pleaded guilty to trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex work

The 55-year-old also pleaded guilty to trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex work Grey, who was arrested two years ago, has been sentenced for 11 years and five months

Bradley Lester Grey, 55, was convicted of 20 offences against seven women who worked at his business Mitchell Mistresses, after a jury trial last year.

In a separate case, Grey pleaded guilty to trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex work — a conviction included in Thursday's sentence.

During the trial, many of the victims said they made contact with Grey through websites such as Craigslist.

Grey had followed a similar pattern: first photographing the women in lingerie for advertising, then telling them they needed to do training before he hired them to make sure they were able to do the work.

Several of the women said they thought this would involve massage, or instructions on how to perform health checks.

But Grey asked the women to engage in various types of sexual activity.

He was eventually charged with 14 counts of sexual intercourse without consent and six counts of committing an act of indecency.

Bradley Lester Grey has been in custody since his arrest two years ago. ( Supplied: ACT Policing )

In sentencing Grey on Thursday, Chief Justice Helen Murrell said he had taken advantage of the women's naivety and associated shock.

"To himself, the offender may have rationalised his conduct as 'training' in the sense of 'breaking in' the complainants so that they could cope with the challenging nature of sex work," she said.

"But that was a very convenient rationalisation.

"The offender must have understood that his conduct served to satisfy his own desire for sexual gratification."

Abuse caused lasting psychological harm: judge

Most of the women reported mental-health problems, struggles to maintain relationships and other difficulties after their experience.

One woman who was recruited from Brisbane did not even know where Canberra was when she arrived.

When she resisted Grey's request that she undress because it made her uncomfortable, he replied that everyone else did.

The woman had not realised Grey was intending to have sexual contact with her.

She told the court she was shocked and disgusted but went along with it because she feared she would not get the job and would be stranded in Canberra.

Chief Justice Murrell said the incident had a significant emotional impact on the woman, who was only 23.

"She did not want to engage in any of the numerous sexual activities," the judge said.

"It was a horrendous introduction to sex work."

Chef Justice Murrell noted that Grey had quizzed the women about their financial situations beforehand and knew that most of them were in a vulnerable position.

Grey was sentenced to 11 years and five months in jail, with a non-parole period of six years and three months, ending in May 2024.

He indicated he would not return to the sex industry after he left jail.