Three men have been sentenced for the rape of a 13-year-old girl in Hammersmith, west London following an in-depth investigation by specialist Met detectives.

Paul Maxwell, 24, from Wood Lane Estates, W12 was sentenced to 12 and a half years, Kayon Bhola, 29, of no fixed address, and Jeremiah Jackson 24, of Longford Court, W12 were both jailed for 11 years on Friday, 11 October.

All three men were given Sexual Harm Prevention Orders lasting 15 years.

The Met say the victim, aged 13, left her home address on 30 September 2023 and travelled into London where she encountered the three defendants at a tube station in Hammersmith.

They lured her back to Maxwell's flat where she was raped by all three.

Detectives gathered a combination of forensic evidence, CCTV and phone analysis. Working closely with specialists from CPS London's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, they built up a case against the three defendants.

CCTV showed the group travelling from the station towards the flat. In-depth phone analysis also revealed a short video clip of the three men carrying out their attack. This evidence played a significant part in convicting the three men.

The moment Paul Maxwell was arrested at his home in Wood Lane Estates, Shepherd's Bush (credit: Met Police).

Detective Constable Will Murphy, who led the investigation, said: "Firstly, I would like to thank the victim for her ongoing support in this case and for her extreme bravery in coming forward and reporting this to police.

"This has been a challenging investigation, however due to the dedicated efforts of my team we were able to secure convictions. I hope the victim feels that justice has been served.

"Today's sentencing highlights how despicable this crime was and Maxwell, Bhola and Jackson will now face the consequences of their horrendous actions. The Met is here to support victims of sexual assault, and to provide the best care we can. Please do not hesitate to come to us."

The victim read out a victim impact statement, a part of which said: "I have gone over the date a million times thinking of what I could have done differently to change the outcome of what happened to me.

"No matter what I change, it would've ended the same way. This is because these three men, fully grown men, knew exactly what they were going to do as soon as they saw me at Hammersmith.

"I was caught alone, and vulnerable. But that shouldn't have mattered."

All three defendants were found guilty of rape - with Maxwell convicted of an additional count - following a three-week trial at Southwark Crown Court on 22 July.

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