Sex gang plied young girls with legal highs and alcohol before abusing them

On the run: Paul Michael Silverthorn admitted to several offences
Metropolitan Police
Hannah Al-Othman1 June 2016
WEST END FINAL

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Three men and a woman have been convicted of sexual offences against young girls.

Blackfriars Crown Court was told that the girls were plied with legal highs and alcohol before they were sexually abused.

Paul Michael Silverthorn and his girlfriend Leila Kassam both admitted to having unlawful sex with the 15-year-old at a court hearing in March, but have since gone on the run.

The sex gang purposely befriended vulnerable young girls, before taking them to a central London address, and plying them with legal highs and alcohol before forcing them to be sexually abused by several people.

At Blackfriars Crown Court today Silverthorn, of no fixed abode, was also found guilty in his absence of administering a substance to a second victim, who was 16-years-old.

He had also previously admitted to possessing and distributing prohibited images of children.

Guilty: Leila Kassam admitted to having unlawful sex with the 15-year-old
Metropolitan Police

Fehum Jaffer, of Wimbledon was also convicted of sexually abusing the 15-year-old victim, and was jailed today for two years.

The offences took place between May 2014 and December 2014 at a central London house, after the victims were taken there by Daniel Trinnaman, of Romford.

Jailed: Trinnaman was found guilty of inciting a girl aged 15 to engage in sexual activity
Metropolitan Police

Trinnaman was today found guilty of taking part in the exploitation by befriending the victims and inviting them back to the property, and was jailed for two and a half years.

Silverthorn and Kassam are due to be sentenced at the same court on June 27 and are being hunted by police.

DC Rob Dewhurst, from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "This is a shocking case of child sexual exploitation (CSE) where the defendants targeted young vulnerable girls, plying them with alcohol and what were then legal highs in order to facilitate their sexual abuse by a number of people.

"I commend the young victims for their courage in reporting the offences and giving evidence at trial.

Jailed: Fehum Jaffer was found guilty of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years
Metropolitan Police

"The damage caused by CSE cannot be underestimated, which is why the Met are committed tackling it head on.

"It has for some time been high on our agenda, leading to the introduction of the Sexual Exploitation Team, a dedicated unit which sits within the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, and whose sole remit is to investigate offences of this nature."

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