Facing jail for sex attacks on young girls

From left, Bogdan Gugiuman, 44; Leonard Paun, 23; Codrin Dura, 27; Stefan Ciuraru, 22; and Klaudio Aleksiu, 28 are facing lengthy prison sentences for their horrific crimes

- ROB KENNEDY Court Reporter

FIVE members of a Tyneside grooming gang are facing lengthy prison sentences after they were convicted of a series of sex attacks on underage girls.

Codrin Dura, 26, Leonard Paun, 23, Bogdan Gugiuman, 44, Klaudio Aleksiu, 28 and Stefan Ciuraru, 22, were found guilty of offences which took place between 2015 and 2019 against girls aged between 13 and 16, after an eight-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

During the trial, prosecutor, Anne Richardson, told the jury that the six girls involved were vulnerable, with one being reported missing at one stage.

She said some had "unhappy home lives" and were "dependant" on some of the defendants. She said: "These are allegations of sexual exploitation of girls in the Gateshead area. Some of the girls were immature, vulnerable, and seeking to please as a way of gaining attention to themselves.

"These personality traits were exploited by some of the defendants to greater or lesser extents. Many of the complainants were given alcohol or cigarettes in exchange for sexual favours."