Three men sentenced to 53 years in prison for Human Trafficking

Three men have been sentenced to a total of 53 years in prison after being found guilty in February of the trafficking, sexual exploitation and rape of two young Romanian girls. Marius Petre, 27 (15/02/89), of Longworth Street, Preston, was found guilty of 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. He was sentenced to 20 years. Adrian Matei, 34 (09/09/81), of Longworth Street, Preston, was found guilty of 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. He will face 20 years behind bars. Ionut Ion, 35 (16/04/80), of Longworth Street, Preston, was found guilty of keeping/ managing a brothel used for prostitution and two counts of rape. He has been given a sentence of 13 years. The men were arrested in July 2015 at an address on Longworth Street in Preston, after information had been passed to officers via a tweet on the Preston Police Twitter page. Two girls, both aged 18, were found at the address and it was discovered that they had been brought to the UK from Romania and forced to work as prostitutes. They had been threatened with violence to them and their families if they refused to comply or tried to run away. DI Jane Webb of Preston Police said: “I am pleased with the result and the sentences handed down to these truly evil men and it sends a clear message to anyone who would consider trafficking and exploiting others, that we do not tolerate it in Lancashire. “The victims in this case have been so brave and dignified throughout this whole process and I hope that they are now able to move on with their lives, putting this awful experience behind them. Both girls will continue to be supported through the national framework that helps those affected by trafficking and modern slavery. “We have dedicated officers working hard to remove this type of threat from our communities and I hope that this case will make people think twice before they take advantage of vulnerable people. “I would urge others out there who may be trapped and are being exploited, to come forward knowing help is available. Similarly, if you have concerns about someone in your community who could be being exploited, be that sexually or in any other way, please pass any information you have on to us. If something doesn’t seem right, call us on 101.” For more information visit http://www.lancashire.police.uk/help-...