Gang who held girl, 14, captive and forced her to have sex with up to 30 men in five day nab

Three men who forced a 14-year-old girl to work as a prostitute and plied her with drugs have been jailed for 18 years...Jake Cairns, Brandon Sharples and Jack McInally, all from Coventry, were found guilty of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child after advertising the teen as an 18-year-old on an escort site

Jake Cairns, Brandon Sharples and Jack McInally, all from Coventry, ruthlessly exploited the child, held her captive and made her have sex with between 20-30 men during a horrific five day ordeal.


All three were found guilty of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child after advertising the teen as an 18-year-old on an escort site.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was forced into prostitution to repay a drugs debt to Cairns after she was reported missing by her family in June 2015.

He gave her a place to stay in Radford, Coventry, but men visited the property for three days and paid for sex with the girl.

She was forced to welcome clients at the front door naked apart from just a dressing gown and was told to bang on the floor if she needed help, a court heard.

The court was also told the teenager was regularly taken out of the property for food and showers and on one occasion was made to go shopping to buy lingerie with the twisted trio.

West Midlands Police rescued her on June 13, 2015. McNally and Sharples were at the house at the time and Cairns was arrested later.

The youngster had tried to climb out of a first floor bathroom window in only her underwear in a bid to escape her abusers, Warwick Crown Court heard during the trial.

Cairns, 21, from Radford, Sharples, 20, from Radford, and McInally, 21, of no fixed address, appeared in court in November.

The trio were convicted following a two-week trial at Warwick Crown Court.

Cairns, 21, was found guilty of arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child, facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child and distributing indecent photographs of a child. He was jailed for eight years.

McInally, also 21, was found guilty of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child and jailed for five years.

Sharples, 20, was found guilty of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child and also sentenced to five years imprisonment.

In addition, all three were handed ten-year sexual harm prevention orders and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The girl disappeared from a relative’s home in Coventry and information led police to an address in Radford, where they found the teenager trying to make her escape.

The police investigation showed that Cairns had taken sexually explicit photos of the teenager.

The girl’s face was not visible but one photo featured a distinctive necklace belonging to the victim.

DNA discovered on a duvet in a room, where she was forced to have sex, was shown to have come from five different sources, including Cairns.

Detectives also found an email address linking Cairns to the sex site advert.

The court heard how the victim had to be treated for a Sexual Transmitted Infection and money received was split between her and Cairns.

Cairns was seen breaking down in tears in the dock, while the other defendants looked on emotionless with McInally waving to his family as he was led to the cells.

Sentencing, Judge Murray Creed, said: "Between 20 and 30 men visited the property who were strangers.

"She claims that she took drugs to numb the feeling.

"She described on one occasion not being ready to see a client, and being hit by you, Jake Cairns."

Andrew Smith QC, prosecuting, said the victim had been left with immediate and long lasting effects following her ordeal.

Alex Warren, Senior Crown Prosecutor with the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service’s Complex Casework Unit said: “This case involved the most horrendous exploitation of a vulnerable young girl by the defendants.

"She was treated as little more than a commodity to be utilised for their financial gain.

“The prosecution was able to outline the role that each defendant played in her abuse and they must now face the consequences of their actions

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim’s courage and her support in helping to bring these three men to justice.”