As revealed in Sunday night’s episode of 60 Minutes, numerous students have joined the Sugar Daddy "dating" website, where wealthy older men meet young women or Sugar Babies, helping them with university fees and rent.

They might also be lavished with fine dining and international trips along the way. There’s a catch, of course. At the heart of this transaction is the expectation of a sexual encounter.

Fantasy is being sold to young women. Credit:Alamy

As one of the girls puts it, “people who talk to you and treat you like a prostitute … I totally get people saying that”.

It’s unsurprising that the entrepreneur behind Sugar Daddy websites – Californian-based Brandon Wade – has been labelled an e-pimp. Isn’t this simply sex work in disguise, undercover prostitution?