Throughout the entire investigation, over 25 children were identified and safeguarded by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime. They were aged between 14 and 17 years old.
Detective Chief Inspector Laura Hillier, from The Met’s Specialist Crime, said: “This investigation has brought justice to a man who used the lives of young and vulnerable people for his own personal gain. We focused on rescuing these children who had no option but to do as they were told through fear of violence from those controlling them.
“This investigation took my officers months to investigate, compiling a voluminous amount of evidence whilst ensuring the safety of the children involved and the conviction of these three people.
“They used children as commodities, grooming them and putting them in an adult world full of danger.
“Child exploitation causes violence and anti-social behaviour in London and we do not tolerate the harm that comes with it.
“Francis also implicated drug suppliers higher up the criminal chain which led to a further investigation into a separate crime group. This also resulted in the disruption of a drugs line that had been in existence for over 15 years.”
During the investigation, officers seized five kilograms of Class A drugs, namely cocaine, heroin and a large quantity of cannabis. They also seized £90,000 in cash.
Dominic Francis, 31 of His Majesty’s Prison was sentenced to five years and ten months’ imprisonment for two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and conspiracy to facilitate the movement of a vulnerable person for the purpose of exploitation, namely a 14-year-old boy from Newham.
He was also issued with a Slavery Trafficking Order for six years.
A further man, aged 22 from Newham was also sentenced to three years and two months’ imprisonment for two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs with the use of children as an aggravating factor. He has since been released as it was deemed he had already served his time whilst in custody.
Both men were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 7 July after pleading guilty to the offences on Wednesday, 16 November, on the first day of their trial.
They were arrested following an investigation by the Met’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation unit which began in 2020.
A 55-year-old female relative was previously sentenced on Friday, 28 April to an eight months suspended sentence for 15 months for two counts of converting or transferring criminal property, committing an act with intent to prevent the course of public justice, and racially aggravated harassment without violence.
She was also ordered to carry out 40 days of Community Rehab Activity.
Francis, at the time, was in prison, and making phone calls to a 22-year-old relative. Tasking and ordering him to actively recruit children to supply drugs from Newham and throughout London and the southeast.
The 22-year-old male was located to an address in Kent, allowing officers to arrest him for his involvement in running the drugs chain. Officers also established two children, a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, who were at times in possession of the drugs phone line. Both children were safeguarded.
