Five men found guilty of paying for sexual services of children in Derby

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/13/five-guilty-sexual-services-child

Version 0 of 1.

Five men who preyed on vulnerable teenage girls for sex have been found guilty of paying for the sexual services of a child.

A jury at Derby crown court heard how Anthony Lambert, 51, Stefan Godfrey, 44, John Shaw, 54, Ijaz Ahmed, 35, and Mark Adaoui, 40, picked the girls up from care homes and streets in Derby and paid them up to £30 to perform sex acts.

The men gave the girls, aged between 13 and 15, alcohol, drugs and cuddly toys to encourage them to have sex with them.

The convictions come after a lengthy and complex investigation by Derbyshire police, which started in July 2010, when officers became concerned for the safety of teenage girls on Derby's streets.

The force worked with Derby city council after they discovered that some of the 15 girls involved were in care.

Seven girls were involved in the prosecution of the men, five of whom were victims and two who were witnesses. The girls knew each other but there was no connection between the men, the investigation found.

During the five-week trial, the jury heard that one of the defendants, Anthony Lambert, had picked up one of the victims at her care home with another girl and drove them back to his house. They had sex on his bed while the other girl sat on the floor playing with her mobile phone.

On a separate occasion, the pair drank vodka and smoked cannabis before having sex at his house. On both occasions, Lambert paid the girl £30, the jury heard.

Detective Superintendent Andy Stokes, head of public protection at Derbyshire police, said: "These convictions would not have been possible had the victims involved not been brave enough to come forward and speak to police and later give evidence in court.

"They were very vulnerable girls, some of whom came from unstable or difficult backgrounds. They were easy prey for these men, who made them feel important and safe, buying them presents to keep them on side.

"The girls at times felt flattered by the attention and were grateful for the gifts. But they gradually realised that what they were involved in was wrong, they were putting themselves at risk and the men were exploiting them.

"It is important that people realise that men who abuse children come from all walks of life, backgrounds and cultures.

"More recently, the deputy children's commissioner has warned that a disproportionate number of girls living in care homes are becoming victims of exploitation."

The five men will be sentenced at a later date, Derbyshire police said.

Five other men, who were part of the same investigation, have already admitted sexual offences involving children at earlier hearings.