Three men jailed for trafficking two teenage girls into Preston
Three men have been locked up for a total of 53 years for trafficking two teenage Romanian girls and forcing them to work as prostitutes in Preston.
Three men have been locked up for a total of 53 years for trafficking two teenage Romanian girls and forcing them to work as prostitutes in Preston.
Marius Petre, Adrian Matei and Ionut Ion - all from Longworth Street Preston promised the girls a better life.
They've been sentenced at Preston Crown Court of offences related to human trafficking and sexual exploitation, after two Romanian girls were found at an address in Preston in July 2015.
WATCH: Rock FM reporter Amy Scarisbrick was there for the sentencing at Preston Crown Court:
26-year old Marius Petre was jailed for 20 years for intentionally arranging/ facilitating entry to the UK of a person with a view to their sexual exploitation, causing/ inciting prostitution for financial gain and two counts of rape. 34-year old Adrian Matei was also jailed for 20 years for intentionally arranging/ facilitating entry to the UK of a person with a view to their sexual exploitation, causing/ inciting prostitution for financial gain and two counts of rape. 35-year old Ionut Ion was sentenced to 13 years for keeping/ managing a brothel used for prostitution and two counts of rape.
Sentencing them, the judge said they were all dangerous and lacked any remorse.
WATCH: DI Jane Webb gives her reaction to sentencing outside Preston Crown Court:
The two victims met the men in a nightclub in Romania last year and believed them to be their boyfriends.
The men promised them a better life and could give them jobs as maids in the UK.
They were smuggled into the country by car.
When they arrived in the UK, they were taken to a house on Longworth Street in Preston and were threatened and forced into becoming prostitutes.
The girls told Rock FM that they were both physically and sexually abused by the traffickers.
LISTEN: Rock FM's Amy Scarisbrick has this special report:
The police raided the house in Preston in July last year after receiving a tip-off on Twitter and managed to get the girls out safely.
Detective Inspector Jane Webb who has been investigating the case says the men abused the girls' trust and exploited them:
The girls have been kept in a safe house for their own protection during the trial - they'll now be able to start new lives in the UK.
The men were arrested at an address on Longworth Street in Preston in July 2015 as part of a joint operation between Lancashire Constabulary, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and immigration officers. Intelligence originating from a tweet on the Preston Police Twitter page led officers to the address which was suspected to be a brothel and concerns were raised about young women at the property. Further enquiries led to the raid in July in which two girls found at the address were thought to have been brought to the UK from Romania and had been forced into sexual exploitation. The girls, both aged 18, had only been in the UK for around two weeks before officers found them at the address. They had been brought from Romania by Petre and Matei with the promise of work as maids at a hotel. Instead they were brought straight to Longworth Street and told that they would be working as prostitutes. They were forced to perform sexual acts on customers and were threatened with violence to them and their families if they refused to comply or tried to run away. They were also subjected to rape by Petre, Matei and Ionut, who was already at the house when the women arrived. Both girls are now being supported through the NCA and the National Referral Mechanism in which victims of trafficking are supported with help to return to their home countries or accommodation in the UK with immigration status assistance. Long-term help with their education and employment is also available through various charities. DI Jane Webb of Preston Police said: “These convictions are the culmination of a long and intricate inquiry by Preston CID in a complex area of policing in which identifying human trafficking or modern slavery can be very difficult. “The girls were forced into sexual exploitation and like so many victims of modern day slavery; they were controlled and trapped by the traffickers who brought them to Preston, and were fearful of repercussions on their families and themselves if they tried to seek help. “We know that people are being taken advantage of and find themselves in this position every day in Lancashire and across the country. We have dedicated officers working hard to remove this threat from our communities and I hope that this case will make people think twice before they take advantage of vulnerable people. “The girls have been incredibly brave throughout this whole process and are now being supported to build better lives here in the UK. They are thankful for being rescued from the evil men that subjected them to such abhorrent crimes and they would urge others out there who may be trapped and are being exploited, to come forward knowing help is available. “If you believe either yourself, or someone you know, is being exploited, be that sexually or in any other way, please do not suffer in silence. Look out for others in your communities. The victims in this case may not have been found so swiftly if it wasn’t for information from members of the local community. If something doesn’t seem right, call us on 101.”