Three men have been sentenced to significant prison terms after they lured a 13-year-old girl to a West London flat and sexually assaulted her.
The incident took place on September 30 of last year, when the victim left her home and encountered the three defendants at a tube station in Hammersmith. They persuaded the girl to accompany them to a flat in Wood Lane Estates, Shepherd’s Bush, where the rape occurred.
Paul Maxwell, 24, who resided at the flat, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison on October 11 following a three-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. Kayon Bhola, 29, of no fixed address, and Jeremiah Jackson, 24, from Longford Court, Acton, received sentences of 11 years each.
In an emotional impact statement read in court, the victim described feeling "alone and vulnerable" on the day of the attack. She expressed deep regret, stating, "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."
Detective Constable Will Murphy, who led the investigation, called the attack a “despicable crime” and emphasized that the perpetrators would now face the consequences of their actions. He praised the victim for her bravery in reporting the crime and steadfast support throughout the investigation. "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," he stated.
The trio was convicted after CCTV footage captured them traveling from the station to the flat, and an analysis of their phones uncovered a short video clip of the assault. All three men were found guilty of rape on July 22, with Maxwell also facing an additional count.