Pair sentenced for sexual exploitation in Northampton

A man and a woman have been sentenced to 17 months’ imprisonment each after a woman was sexually exploited in Northampton.

On October 5, 2023, Northamptonshire Police received a call from a man in Spain who reported that his former partner had been in touch to say she was being forced to engage in sex work by two people - Ionut-Alin Dobre, aged 30, and Nicoleta-Andreeva Zaharia, aged 33, both previously of St Andrew’s Street, Northampton.

Police deployed to the address supplied by the man and found a woman in her 30s inside the flat who they immediately safeguarded.

Upon a search of the premises, officers found evidence to suggest it was being used for sex work and when they spoke to the woman it became clear that she had been unable to freely come and go from the premises since September 7 of that year.

Dobre and Zaharia were arrested and subsequently charged with arranging/facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, controlling prostitution for gain, and modern slavery.

The duo pleaded guilty to controlling prostitution for gain on March 4, and returned to Northampton Crown Court last month (April 19), where they were each sentenced to 17 months in prison.

A restraining order was also granted preventing either from contacting the victim directly until further order.

In her victim personal statement, which was read out at the hearing, the survivor said: “I keep having nightmares about how I was treated, and I wake up afraid and have to check the room.

“Daily insignificant things like getting the shopping are hard. I feel like I do not even know if my legs will carry me. I am hesitant to answer the phone because I am not sure who is calling and I am worried that they are trying to contact me.

“They made me feel like I was property and I belonged to them.”

Lead investigator, Detective Constable Charlotte Orr of Northamptonshire Police CID, said: “I am really pleased to see Dobre and Zaharia sent to prison.

“They exploited this woman for their own gain - coercing her into more and more sex work as time went on and taking a large proportion of her earnings.

“They made her feel used and stripped her of her freedom, leaving her unable to leave the flat when she wanted to.

“Thankfully she managed to get a message to the person who made the initial report to us, and I hope that that the conclusion of this case, and the fact that both Dobre and Zaharia are now in prison, allows her to feel like some of the weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

“Tackling exploitation and modern slavery is part of our Force priority to fight serious and organised crime and I am very pleased with our success in this case. We will continue working hard to put more people like Dobre and Zaharia behind bars.”

Modern slavery can happen anywhere in any situation.

Each case is different and may not fit common stereotypes.

The signs of forced labour, and criminal or sexual exploitation can be very different. Victims might look helpless and afraid, but they can also seem to accept their situation, be completely unaware of it, or even defend the people who are exploiting them.

You can report suspected modern slavery to us by calling 101, or in an emergency 999.

To report a suspicion or get advice you can also contact the Modern Slavery Helpline confidentially on 08000 121 700.

If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.