A total of 277 years in prison have been sentenced to 20 defendants in a long-running sexual exploitation case against underage girls in England.
Medianews.az reports that, according to a long-term investigation conducted by the West Yorkshire police, the incidents mainly took place in the Dewsbury and Batley areas.
According to the information, the crimes were committed between 1995 and 2003.
It was revealed that one of those exploited was only 12 years old at the time of the incident. The court trial on the case began in July 2023 at the Leeds Crown Court and several hearings were held.
According to court documents, the defendants were found guilty of serious crimes such as rape, sexual violence, supplying narcotics, trafficking for forced prostitution, and unlawful detention. Some individuals were sentenced to up to 28 years in prison.
An 87-year-old defendant in the case was also sentenced to 11 years in prison on two charges of rape. A female defendant received 3 years in prison on charges of managing prostitution.
The police described the incident as a severe and shocking exploitation case committed against underage girls. Law enforcement authorities stated that the testimonies and courage shown by the victims played an important role in uncovering the crimes.
