Following the sexual exploitation of a lady in Northampton, a man and a woman, Nicoleta-Andreeva Zaharia & Ionut-Alin Dobre, have been sentenced.
Ionut-Alin Dobre, aged 30, and Nicoleta-Andreeva Zaharia, aged 33, both formerly of St Andrew’s Street, Northampton, called Northamptonshire Police on October 5, 2023, claiming that their former partner had been contacted to say she was being forced to engage in sex work by two people.
Police sent to the man’s address discovered a thirty-something woman living in the flat they promptly protected. Officers searched the grounds and discovered evidence pointing to it being used for sex work. When they spoke with the woman, it became evident she had been unable to freely come and go from the premises since September 7 of that year.
After being apprehended, Nicoleta-Andreeva Zaharia & Ionut-Alin Dobre were accused of planning or enabling the flight of another person with an eye towards modern slavery, profit-driven prostitution control, and exploitation.
On March 4, Nicoleta-Andreeva Zaharia & Ionut-Alin Dobre entered a guilty plea to controlling prostitution for profit; this month, on April 19, they returned to Northampton Crown Court, where they were each sentenced to 17 months in jail.
Additionally, a restraining order prohibited both Nicoleta-Andreeva Zaharia & Ionut-Alin Dobre from personally contacting the victim pending more directive orders.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.