Four men have been jailed for 30 years for plying a 16-year-old runaway girl from Brighton with cocaine and prostituting her.
They were sentenced to between 5 and 14 years in prison by Judge Richard Hayward at Hove Crown Court this afternoon (Monday 30 March).
All four denied forcing the girl in prostitution but were found guilty on Friday (27 March) after a three-week trial. They were
- Stephen Daramola, 48, of Park Lane, Eastbourne
- Mohammed Kamali, 46, of Harper Rd, Newhaven
- Khosrow Sobhanieh, 56, of North Lane, Guestling, near Hastings
- Christopher Kayla-Joseph, 27, of Elphick Road, Newhaven
Daramola was jailed for six years for causing or inciting a 16-year-old child into prostitution, supplying her with cocaine and sexual assault.
Kamali was jailed for five years for causing or inciting a 16-year-old child into prostitution and supplying cocaine.
Sobhanieh was jailed for 14 years for conspiring to incite a 16-year-old child into prostitution, one offence of rape, one of attempted rape and having a firearm.
Kayla-Joseph was jailed for five years for conspiring to incite a 16-year-old child into prostitution and supplying her and a 14-year-old friend with cocaine.
All four men were made the subject of registered sex offender orders. When they are released from prison, each will be given sexual offenders prevention orders for life, severely restricting their contact with young people.
Judge Hayward accepted that Daramola and Kamali had mental health problems.
He said: “This was the most dreadful abuse of a vulnerable girl for sexual gratification.”
They were charged last May after a 12-month investigation.
Two other men were acquitted by the jury at Hove.
- Khalid Del-Rosario, 45, of Upperton Road, Eastbourne, was found not guilty of conspiring to incite a 16-year-old child into prostitution, sexual assault and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
- Giuseppe Carella, 19, of Brighton Road, Newhaven, was found not guilty of conspiring to incite a 16-year-old child into prostitution, rape and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
The judge commended the investigating officers for their work on the case.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark O’Brien said on Friday: “This is a landmark case, sending a clear message that anyone who sets out to exploit vulnerable young people in this way can expect to be subject to investigation and can be brought to justice.
“We also wish to pay tribute to the girl herself, whose evidence, resolutely given with the help of special measures including a screen protecting her from the defendants’ view, was key in ensuring this outcome.
