Five men have been convicted of raping and sexually abusing underage girls they encountered in a local park. The victims, including a 14-year-old girl, were targeted by a group of men who provided drugs and then coerced them into sexual activities in Gateshead between 2015 and 2019.
Codrin Dura, aged 27, was found guilty of multiple charges, including rape, sexual activity with a child, attempted rape, blackmail, and sexual assault involving one victim referred to as Girl A. Additionally, Dura was convicted of raping another girl, Girl B, arranging a child sex offense, and supplying Class A drugs.
Leonard Paun, 23, was found guilty of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape concerning Girl B. He was also convicted of arranging a child sex offense, distributing indecent images of a child, and supplying Class A drugs.
Bogdan Gugiuman, aged 44, was found guilty of several rape charges related to Girl B, as well as supplying Class A drugs. Klaudio Aleksiu, 28, was found guilty of raping Girl B and supplying drugs.
Stefan Ciuraru, 22, was convicted of multiple sexual assault charges involving various girls and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The jury deliberated for over three days before reaching their verdict. The convicted individuals are awaiting sentencing.
Authorities emphasized that victims of sexual offenses are entitled to lifelong anonymity and should not be disclosed. Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr of Northumbria Police commended the courage of the victims and condemned the perpetrators for their heinous crimes.
Charlotte Dennison, head of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offenses (RASSO) Unit at CPS North East, praised the victims for their role in securing convictions against the abusers.