Two individuals have been handed sentences following their involvement in a heinous crime involving the trafficking and exploitation of a woman into forced sex work.
Gheorghe Bonculescu, 27, residing on Warmsworth Road in Doncaster, received a four-and-a-half-year prison term for his role in controlling prostitution for profit.
Sharing the same address, Elena Birovescu, also 27, received a two-year suspended sentence for her part in money laundering.
Both individuals confessed to their crimes on January 15th at Hull Crown Court and were subsequently sentenced on February 13th.
The victim bravely approached the British Transport Police at Hull Paragon station in December 2022, revealing she had been coerced into sex work.
The court heard harrowing details of how she had fled from a property in Hull, which Bonculsecu had arranged as her workplace.
Under Bonculescu's arrangement, the woman was advertised for sex work online, enduring seven months of exploitation. Meanwhile, Birovescu facilitated the laundering of £5,000 in cash, ultimately transferring it to Bonculescu.
Judge Mark Bury condemned their actions, highlighting the victim's ordeal, stating, "She was coerced to see many customers with STIs because of you, the reality is she wasn't benefitting at all. She was a sexual prisoner."
Detective Sergeant Richard Kirk of Humberside Police's modern slavery and human trafficking team denounced Bonculescu and Birovescu as predators, emphasizing their exploitation of a vulnerable woman for financial gain.
He praised the woman for her bravery throughout the investigation, underscoring the courage it took to come forward.