A CARDIFF couple who forced a teenager into prostitution for their own financial gain have been jailed.
Richard Mountstephens, from Trowbridge, and Kelly Thomas, from Mynachdy, also took indecent photos of the child and uploaded them onto a website advertising sexual services.
They groomed the girl and forced her to have sex with a number of men.
After weeks of abuse, she confided in her family and Mountstephens and Thomas were arrested in April 2020.
They denied the offices but were both found guilty of controlling a child in relation to sexual exploitation.
Mountstephens was also found guilty of three counts of possessing indecent images of a child and perverting the course of justice.
On Wednesday, February 8, they were jailed at Cardiff Crown Court.
Mountstephens, 34, was sentenced to eight and a half years imprisonment and Thomas, 32, was sentenced to six years imprisonment.
In addition, they are both on the Sex Offenders Register, subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and have an indefinite Restraining Order in respect of the victim.
Officer in the case, Detective Constable Rachel Green from South Wales Police, said: “From the beginning of the investigation, both suspects adamantly denied any involvement in the offences.
“Mountstephens even attempted to alter key evidence by changing the dates indecent images had been uploaded to the website.
“The investigation involved many specialist departments including forensics, financial investigation, intelligence analysis, and digital forensics, and we are glad that justice has now been served.
“The impact on the victim has been devastating but she has been extremely resilient and patient since the start of this investigation
“We hope the verdicts and today’s sentencing brings some sense of closure and allows her to begin the process of regaining her confidence.”
Information, advice, and reassurance, as well as an online reporting service specifically for sexual offences can be found on our website.
