Seven people sentenced over organised sex trafficking ring linked to Doncaster
Police in South Yorkshire and Romania worked together to smash the gang
Five men and two women have been sentenced for their roles in a sex trafficking ring which was operating in Doncaster, as well as elsewhere in the UK.
It follows a five year joint investigation involving South Yorkshire Police and their counterparts in Romania.
A total of 14 women in their 20s and 30s were trafficked to the UK from the Eastern European country between 2016 and 2019, to be sexually exploited at addresses in Doncaster, London and Norwich.
Each also suffered physical and financial abuse at the hands of the gang, who police managed to link using phone records and bank account data.
They also tracked vehicles used to transport the women, who are now being supported by specialist officers.
Six of the traffickers were arrested in 2019, with a further arrest being made in July 2020.
Today (April 25) the group were handed a total of 13 years in prison, with three of the gang handed suspended sentences at Sheffield Crown Court.
A five week trial in 2024 also found right people guilty of controlling prostitution for financial gain.
Those sentenced include:
- Valentin Badica, 39, of Ellesmere Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne (two years and eight months in prison)
- Cristian Damaschin, 35, of Farndale Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne (two years and eight months in prison)
- Ionica Badica, 34, Farndale Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne (two years and two months in prison)
- Mihaela Matei, 28, of Ellesmere Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, (one year and ten months suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid work and a 25 day rehabilitation order)
- Ionut-leonard Bahica, 38, of Atkinson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne (eleven months, suspended for two years)
- Adrian Cioroaba, 33, of Cream Street, Sheffield (eleven months, suspended for two years)
- Iuliana Mavroian, 41, of Colston Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne (one year and ten months, suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid work and a 25 day rehabilitation order)
Following the sentencing Detective Sergeant Rachael Smith of South Yorkshire Police, said:
“This has been an extensive investigation that has led to the successful shut down of a dangerous organised crime group.
"Our investigation team worked incredibly hard over many months to build a case against this cruel network of organised crime."