Men who sexually exploited girl, 14, into prostitution in Coventry jailed for 18 years - The Coventry Observer

Men who sexually exploited girl, 14, into prostitution in Coventry jailed for 18 years

Coventry Editorial 11th Jan, 2018   0

THREE men who sexually exploited a schoolgirl after advertising her as an 18-year-old on an escort site have been jailed for a total of 18 years.

Jake Cairns, Brandon Sharples and Jack McInally plied the 14-year-old with drugs and held her at an address in Somerset Road, Coventry, for five days.

Cairns took explicit photos of the girl and posted them on adult contact site Viva Street.

She was made to have sex with around 20 men who responded to the online advert before West Midlands Police rescued her on June 13, 2015.




West Midlands Police say they launched a missing person enquiry after the girl disappeared from a relative’s home in Coventry on June 8 and information led them to the address in Somerset Road where they found the teenager.

They forced open the front door to the property and arrested Cairns (21), Sharples (20) and 21-year-old McInally on suspicion of child abduction.


Detectives found an email address linked to Cairns was used to create a Viva Street advert; the girl’s face was not visible but one photo featured a distinctive necklace belonging to the girl which police recovered.

And at Birmingham Crown Court today (Jan 11) Cairns, from Cheveral Avenue, was jailed for eight years having earlier been found guilty of facilitating and arranging the sexual exploitation of a child, plus taking and distributing indecent images of a child.

Sharples, from Wyley Road in Radford, and McInally of no fixed address were both handed five-year jail sentences for child exploitation.

All three have been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and were made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective inspector Joe Davenport, whose team led the investigation, said: “These men were involved in the shocking exploitation of a young girl… they took advantage of her vulnerability and exploited her for their own financial gain.

“West Midlands Police officers rescued her from a house where she’d been kept for several days and after being spoken to by specially trained child abuse detectives she confided in them what had happened.

“She supported our investigation throughout. She is a phenomenally strong young woman and I would like to commend her courage for helping us achieve these convictions. Her bravery is likely to have prevented other girls coming to harm.

“This case should illustrate how seriously we take cases of exploitation and grooming and I would urge anyone who has suffered, or believes a loved one or friend is being exploited, to get in touch so we can take action.

“We work closely with lots of charities and support groups across Coventry and the wider Midlands who can provide help and practical support.”

Help and advice on how to report sexual exploitation, or if you suspect a child is being abused, can be found on the West Midlands Police website.

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