Seven members of a child prostitution ring, guilty of exploiting girls as young as 13, have been jailed.
The
convictions include brothers Ahdel and Mubarek Ali, who ‘systematically
groomed’ several teenage victims in Telford, Shropshire, alongside five
others.
Mubarek, 29, and
younger brother Ahdel, 24, have been jailed for 32 years for grooming
teenage girls, before ‘pimping them out to workers at a curry house for
£150 sex sessions’.
Jailed: Mubarek Ali, 29, left, and Ahdel Ali,
24, right, have been jailed for 14 and 18 years respectively for pimping
out teenage girls to curry house workers for £150 sex sessions
As the major police operation came to a
close today, police praised the victims, aged 13 to 16, for giving
evidence at a series of court hearings, including an original trial
which collapsed at Stafford Crown Court in September 2011.
During
the Ali brothers’ trial, Stafford Crown Court heard the pair groomed
two girls, aged 15 and 16,for sex before persuading them to work as
prostitutes for them in 2008.
The
pair, both of Wellington, Telford, were found guilty a total of 24 offences,
including controlling child prostitution, people trafficking and sexual
exploitation.
Ahdel Ali, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, while
his older brother was given a 14-year jail term at Worcester Crown Court
last October.
Five other men
from the Telford area pleaded guilty to charges they faced prior to the
start of their trials and were jailed for between two-and-a-half and
seven years.
Police work: The Ali brother's sentencing at
Worcester Crown Court were only part of a large criminal operation
carried out by West Mercia Police to break up the child prostitution
ring which saw five other men convicted
The convictions of the seven
men at separate hearings have previously been reported separately, but
could not be officially linked together until today’s final court
hearing.
'Operation Chalice' has been one of the largest investigations in West Mercia Police history, with a team of up to 50 officers working on the inquiry to bring the men to justice.
Speaking
after today's final court hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Neil
Jamieson said the teenage victims were targeted because of their
vulnerability.
Mr Jamieson
said: ‘We are pleased with the convictions we have achieved as a result
of this operation - an operation that is among the most complex West
Mercia Police has ever undertaken.
‘After
years of being exploited the girls then went through a huge amount
during the course of this investigation, and the trials themselves were
then a real ordeal for those that gave evidence.’
The
officer added: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to
the strength and character shown by all of the victims who came and
gave evidence and also thank their families for the support they have
shown during what has been a truly horrible time.
‘It
has been very challenging for these young women to come forward and
give their evidence and I hope that these convictions will go some way
to help them move on with their future lives.’
DAILYMAIL
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