September 2011

Gang jailed for stripping teen in park and posting photos on Facebook

A GANG who beat and stripped a 16-year-old girl before posting the photos on Facebook have been sentenced to more than 18 years between them.

The victim, who cannot be named, was locked in a cupboard, punched and beaten with a leather belt at a flat in Brixton.

She was later forced to strip in Crystal Palace Park where nude photographs were taken and posted on her Facebook profile page.

They were spotted by friends and family who contacted her mother.

Gang member Sian Roberts,(pic above) of Churchdown, Downham, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years at Inner London Crown Court on Friday.

As she was taken down the 24-year-old made peace signs to the court and said: “You better go get my son you know”, referring to her five-year-old child.

Roberts had been found guilty of false imprisonment at the court on July 21.

Antonio Williams, aged 19, from Thornton Heath and Dannielo Johnson, aged 18, of no fixed address, Victoria Beckford, aged 27, from Gypsy Hill, and Siobhan Vaughan, aged 29, from Croydon, were also jailed for four years for the same charge.

Beckford and Vaughan were also sentenced to nine months for making an indecent image of a child, to be served concurrently with their other sentences.

The pair were also put on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Police Constable, Andrew Birks, from CID at Lambeth said: “This is a horrific case where the victim was subjected to hours of abuse, assault and humiliation by five defendants who when arrested told police a string of lies to try and conceal their involvement.

“Through the bravery of that child, the jury has been able to recognise the truth behind the events of that day and to reach the verdicts that they have.

“The events themselves left a traumatic mark on her life, made worse by having to appear in court and relive them because these defendants continued their trail of deceit.

“This sends a clear message that gang style behaviour like this will not be tolerated and the police will seek to prosecute those who choose to behave in this way.”