A 13-year-old girl travelling by herself on the London Underground was raped by three strangers who lured her back to their home.
The child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had travelled into London in September last year where she encountered the men at a Tube station in Hammersmith.
Kayon Bhola, 29, Paul Maxwell, 24, and Jeremiah Jackson, 24, lured her back to Maxwell’s flat where she was raped by all three, the Metropolitan Police said.
CCTV evidence showed the group travelling from the station towards the flat where the girl was plied with alcohol until she passed out and awoke to find herself being gang-raped.
Bodycam footage from police show the defendants being arrested at their homes in October 2023.
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Forensic examinations of the defendants’ phones uncovered a short video clip of the three men carrying out their attack.
At Southwark Crown Court on Friday, Maxwell was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison while Bhola and Jackson were both jailed for 11 years. All three men were given Sexual Harm Prevention Orders lasting 15 years.
The 13-year-old, in a victim impact statement, said: “I have gone over the date a million times thinking of what I could have done differently to change the outcome of what happened to me.
“No matter what I change, it would’ve ended the same way.
“This is because these three men, fully grown men, knew exactly what they were going to do as soon as they saw me at Hammersmith.
“I was caught alone, and vulnerable. But that shouldn’t have mattered.”
‘Extreme bravery’
Detective Constable Will Murphy, who led the investigation, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the victim for her ongoing support in this case and for her extreme bravery in coming forward and reporting this to police.
“This has been a challenging investigation, however due to the dedicated efforts of my team we were able to secure convictions.
“I hope the victim feels that justice has been served.
“Today’s sentencing highlights how despicable this crime was and Maxwell, Bhola and Jackson will now face the consequences of their horrendous actions.
“The Met is here to support victims of sexual assault, and to provide the best care we can. Please do not hesitate to come to us.”
