Judge jails three men for total of 53 years in trafficking case which saw girls raped

Three men involved in trafficking two young Romanian women into Lancashire and forced them into Preston's sex trade have been given extended prison sentences to reflect their danger to society.

The two young girls believed they were starting a new life in the UK, but were instead brutally raped and subjected to violence.

Marius Petre, 26, and Adrian Matei, 34, of Longworth Street, Preston, were found guilty of intentionally facilitating entry to the UK of a person with a view to their sexual exploitation and two counts of rape, while 35-year-old Ionut Ion, of the same address, was found guilty of managing a brothel and two counts of rape.

Petre and Matei were both jailed for 20 years, while Ion was imprisoned for 13 years.

They will be released after serving two thirds of their sentences but only when the parole board have deemed they are no longer a danger to society.

Judge Pamela Badley, sitting at Preston Crown Court, said: "Each of these women were degraded and treated as sources of income and that was the motivation for the subsequent rapes.