Five members of an Eastern European grooming gang have received prison terms ranging from 18 months to 14 years following their convictions for sexually exploiting six vulnerable teenage girls in Gateshead.
The group, consisting of four Romanian nationals and one Albanian man, targeted victims aged between 13 and 16 over a five-year period from 2014 to 2019.
Northumbria Police conducted an extensive investigation into the abuse, which culminated in an eight-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court concluding in October.
The court heard how the defendants supplied their young victims with alcohol and cocaine before subjecting them to sexual abuse. Much of the offending took place in the vicinity of Saltwell Park, where the men would gather to play football.
Bogdan Gugiuman, 44, received the longest sentence of 14 years after being found guilty of three rape charges and supplying Class A drugs. He was married and in his mid-thirties when he committed the offences.
Codrin Dura, 27, was handed a 13-year term for four rapes, attempted rape, four counts of sexual activity with a child, blackmail, serious sexual assault, drug supply and arranging child sex offences.
Klaudio Aleksiu, 28, the sole Albanian defendant, was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for rape.
Leonard Paun, 23, received five years and one month for five rape counts, sexual assault, sexual activity with a child, distributing indecent images, drug supply and arranging child sex offences.
The gang were handed prison terms ranging from 18 months to 14 years
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NORTHUMBRIA POLICE
Stefan Ciuraru, 22, was given 18 months, reflecting his youth at the time, for four sexual assaults, sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Prosecutor Anne Richardson told the jury that several of the girls came from “unhappy home lives” and had become dependent on some of the defendants.
She explained that the victims were “immature, vulnerable, and seeking to please as a way of gaining attention to themselves”, traits which the men exploited to varying degrees.
The investigation revealed that younger teenagers initially approached the girls, leading some victims to believe they were entering genuine relationships before older men began exploiting them.
One victim said ‘so much has been taken away from me’
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NORTHUMBRIA POLICE
Many of the complainants received alcohol or cigarettes in return for sexual favours. One girl was introduced to cocaine and became addicted at a young age.
Another victim was said to have been forced to have sex with three different men in a single day. The court also heard that one girl was taken to a “prostitute house” where she consumed drugs with one of the defendants.
One victim, who was between 13 and 15 during her exploitation and is now in her twenties, described the control Dura exerted over her. “It was like he had a spell on me,” she told the court. “It was like I was held hostage and had to play a role.”
She added: “I feel like he has taken so much away from me, I always try to bury it.”
Dura had raped her after luring her to his home under the pretence of deleting an intimate photograph he had been using to threaten her.
A second victim stated: “I was naive and impressionable and it made it easy for me to be preyed upon.”
A third victim, who developed a cocaine addiction as a teenager, said: “This whole experience has massively changed my view of men for life. I am petrified of all men.”
She continued: “There are so many things that trigger my pain, I don’t know if I will ever lead a normal life.”
The prosecutor noted that this victim had clearly suffered “significant psychological harm” as a result of her ordeal.
Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr of Northumbria Police praised the courage shown by the young women throughout the legal process. “Every child has the right to grow up safe from harm but for these girls their childhood was snatched from them in the cruellest of ways,” he said.
He urged anyone who has experienced abuse to contact the force, stating: “We are here for you. We will listen and we will treat you with empathy, compassion and respect.”
Reports can be made via social media, the Northumbria Police website, or by calling 101.