Woman who groomed girls for Newcastle sex gang jailed
A woman who helped a Newcastle grooming gang pick up their victims has been jailed.
Carolann Gallon, who was 17 or 18 at the time, was part of a gang who plied young girls and vulnerable women with drugs and alcohol, before raping and sexually abusing them at parties.
Gallon told police that she had "no sympathy" for her victims as it was "self-inflicted".
One of her victims was just 13-years-old and had run away from foster care, yet Gallon took her to a Tyneside flat knowing she would likely become the victim of a sexual offence.
She targeted the same girl again just a year later.
Another of her victims had learning difficulties and ended up being raped by Abdulhamid Minoyee who was also sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday.
Minoyee was sentenced to 15 years after being convicted of one count of rape, one count of sexual assault, and one count of drug supply at an earlier trial.
Now aged 22, Gallon was sentenced to six years and three months after pleading guilty at an earlier trial to three counts of trafficking.
The decision to put Gallon in front of the courts was made by the Director of Public Prosecutions, with the view taken that she was an active member of the gang and not a victim herself.
Two members of the network, Jahangir Zaman and Habibur Rahim, were both jailed for 29 years for a string of charges including rape.
Only one member of the 18-strong gang remains to be sentenced, with the sentences of the other 17 already amounting to 181 years.
In a series of trials, Newcastle Crown Court heard how older men preyed on their victims, often conning them into believing they were in a relationship with their abuser who would then pass them round their network to be used for sex.
The sex grooming network were convicted, or pleaded guilty, to a series of charges including rape, supplying drugs and prostitution.
See the full list of charges and sentences below
Other roles in the conspiracy included providing the premises, supplying drugs, transporting victims, having sex with them or encouraging it to happen.
During the four trials, 20 young women gave evidence covering a period from 2011 to 2014.
Over the course of the trials it emerged that the victims were befriended by their abusers and lured to parties known as "sessions", where they would be plied with drugs including cocaine, cannabis, mephedrone (also known as M-Kat), and alcohol, before being sexually abused.
The young women were often threatened with violence if they did not engage in sexual activity, and some were subjected to sexual activity while unconscious due to the drugs or alcohol they had been given.
John Elvidge QC, who prosecuted the cases, said girls were exploited ruthlessly, while the Crown Prosecution Service praised the victims' "bravery" in coming forward.
The convictions were part of an investigation into child sexual exploitation in Newcastle, called Operation Shelter, which itself was part of a wider inquiry into serious crime called Operation Sanctuary.
During the trial it emerged that Northumbria Police paid a convicted child rapist with a string of other convictions almost £10,000 to spy on parties where they suspected under-age girls would be plied with drugs and alcohol, before being sexually abused.
However, the unnamed man's evidence was not used during the Operation Shelter trials.
Those convicted and their sentences are:
Nashir Uddin, aged 35, pleaded guilty to three counts of drug possession and four counts of drug supply. Convicted of one count of sexual assault, one count of allowing a premises to be used for drug supply and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution for gain. He has been sentenced to 11-and-a-half years.
Saiful Islam, aged 35, convicted of one count of rape and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Yasser Hussain, aged 28, convicted of one count of allowing a premises to be used for drug supply, one count of assault by beating, one count of intimidation and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution for gain. He has been sentenced to two years in prison.
Mohammed Azram, aged 35, pleaded guilty to five charges of drug supply, convicted of one sexual assault, and convicted of one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution for gain. He was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years.
Jahangir Zaman, aged 44, convicted of one count of drug supply, one count of rape and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution for gain. He was sentenced to 29 years.
Mohammed Hassan Ali, aged 34, pleaded guilty to one count of drug supply. Convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of drug possession with intent to supply. Sentenced to seven years in prison.
Badrul Hussain, aged 37, convicted of three counts of drug supply and three counts of allowing a premises to be used for the supply of drugs. He has been jailed for four years.
Abdul Sabe, aged 40, pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession. Convicted of one count of conspiring to sexually assault, one count of trafficking for sexual exploitation, two counts of drug supply and one count of conspiring to incite prostitution for gain. He has been jailed for 12 years.
Mohibur Rahman, aged 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug supply and two counts of allowing a premises to be used for the supply of drugs. He has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years.
Habibur Rahim, aged 34, pleaded guilty to one count of drug supply and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution. Convicted of one count of rape, six counts of drug supply, three counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation, one count of human trafficking and two counts of conspiring to incite prostitution for gain. He has been jailed for 29 years.
Carolann Gallon, aged 22, pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking. She has been sentenced to six-years-and-three-months.
Abdulhamid Minoyee, aged 34, pleaded guilty to one count of drug supply. Convicted of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. He has been sentenced to 15 years.
Taherul Alam, aged 32, convicted of two counts of drug supply, one count of attempted sexual assault, one count of allowing a premises to be used for the supply of drugs and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution. He has been jailed for eight years.
Monjur Choudhury, aged 33, convicted of one count of drug supply, one count of allowing a premises to be used for the supply of drugs and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution. He has been jailed for five years.
Nadeem Aslam, aged 43, pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession. Convicted of two counts of drug supply, one count of drug possession and one count of allowing a premises to be used for the supply of drugs. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Prabhat Nelli, aged 33, convicted of two counts of drug supply and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution. He has been jailed for four years.
Eisa Mousavi, aged 42, convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of drug supply, one count of allowing a premises to be used for the supply of drugs and one count of conspiracy to incite prostitution. He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Redwan Siddique, age 32, pleaded guilty to one count of drug supply and sentenced to 16 months in prison.