A man in Taiwan uncovers that his ex-wife had been selling sex to finance her tuition fees after coming across a client record book. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
TAIPEI: A man in Taiwan has sued his ex-wife for child support after discovering she was a sex worker who earned enough money to buy herself a house and a car, as well as pay for multiple cosmetic surgeries.
Known by the alias Ayi, he hails from Hsinchu, Taiwan, and divorced his wife in May 2021. The couple agreed that he would have custody of their two children and that she would not pay child support.
Ayi chose not to request child maintenance from his estranged wife, viewing it as support while she faced financial difficulties in pursuing her master’s degree.
He later uncovered her involvement in sex work after finding a journal that allegedly detailed clients’ professions, horoscopes, and fees charged.
Ayi further revealed that after graduating, his ex-wife continued in sex work, earning at least NT$200,000 (US$6,300) a month.
Believing she was capable of contributing to their children’s support, he filed a lawsuit demanding that she pay NT$15,000 a month for each child.
In response, she argued that when she was accepted into the master’s programme, Ayi did not support her, forcing her to cover tuition fees and childcare costs, which led her to sex work.
After the shocking discovery, Ayi persisted in harassing her about her sex work, even though they had divorced.
She informed the court that she was now working as a research assistant.
The woman explained that she acquired the house and car by taking out substantial loans, which became burdensome, but she did so to facilitate visits from her children.
She contended that Ayi’s lawsuit, which cited her financial assets as evidence of her ability to pay, was unfair and requested that the court dismiss his claims.
During the court proceedings, Ayi submitted pictures of his ex-wife’s notebook as evidence of her involvement in sex work.
However, the court determined that the names and numbers included were too vague to conclusively link them to sex work.
Regarding child support, the judge emphasised that both parents are responsible for supporting their children and ordered Ayi’s ex-wife to pay NT$5,000 a month for each child.
The case, reported by Taiwanese news website ETtoday, sparked discussions online.
“Do sex workers need to have degrees these days?” one person asked.
“Whether there’s financial pressure or not, child support is mandatory. Having kids means being responsible for them for at least 18 years,” another commented. - South China Morning Post
