In 2010, police received a report of a

child sex abuse ring A child sex ring is a group of adults who are simultaneously involved sexually with multiple minors during the same general time frame. The dynamics of these rings differ from those of more common one-on-one intrafamilial cases in that they are m ...

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The recurring crimes spanned 10 years and all victims, two boys and three girls, were younger than 13. The perpetrators organized

sex parties Group sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Participants in group sex can be of any sexual orientation or gender. Any form of sexual activity can be adopted to involve more than two participants, but some forms have their ...

where adults played card games to decide who would abuse which child. Three members of the gang received significant prison sentences, including ringleader Marie Black, who was jailed for life. Black's sentence made her "one of the UK's most notorious paedophiles."

Abuse

The sexual abuse was committed for ten years in Norwich and London and ended in 2010 when an initial report was made to police and the children were "safeguarded". The children were abused so often that they thought it was "normal" and "that everybody did it". Detective

Chief Inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is us ...

Peter Hornby said the abuse was "beyond most people's imagination". All victims were younger than 13.

Operation Moccason

The first report of child sexual abuse in

by Marie Black's gang was made to police in 2010. Police responded by "safeguarding" the children, preventing any further abuse. In December 2012, more evidence was given to the police and Operation Moccason was launched. In 2013, police began making arrests. In 2014, police charged 10 suspects with a total of 101 offences. In 2015, the 10 suspects went on trial. Of the 10, four were convicted and the three ringleaders – Marie Black, Jason Adams and Michael Rogers – received long prison sentences. Following the trial, Detective

Pete Hornby said the "complicated and protracted" investigation took 28 months. By July 2015, Operation Moccason had involved seven investigators and thousands of documents. 76 statements and 176 exhibits had been used as evidence and many more had been gathered. Detective Hornby said the operation exposed "a sickening glimpse into sex abuse on a large scale" and investigations were ongoing.

Sentences

Marie Black, Jason Adams, Michael Rogers and Carol Stadler were sentenced on 28 September 2015. Judge Nicholas Coleman said the defendants are "utterly depraved" and that their crimes defied belief. Marie Black, who organised the child abuse gatherings, was given a life sentence and must serve at least 24 years. She was tried for 26 offences and found guilty of 23 including rape of a child, conspiracy to rape and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Detective Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

Kim Taylor described Black as "cold and calculated". In November 2015, Black lodged an appeal against her conviction and life sentence. This was refused by a single judge in February 2016. She appealed a second time in April 2016. Her second appeal was also refused in May 2016, this time by three judges at the Court of Appeal Criminal Division. Michael Rogers of

Romford Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romfo ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and Jason Adams of Norwich were both jailed for 24 years and must serve at least 16 years. They had 14 and 13 convictions respectively, included rape, cruelty and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Carol Stadler from Norwich was jailed for six months for

assault occasioning actual bodily harm Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (often abbreviated to Assault OABH, AOABH or simply ABH) is a statutory offence of aggravated assault in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Hong Kong an ...

References

{{Child sexual abuse in the UK Child sexual abuse in England Rape in England Rape trials Scandals in England Sex crime trials Sex crimes in England Child sex rings Child abuse incidents and cases 2001 crimes in the United Kingdom 2000s crimes in the United Kingdom Rape in the 2000s 2010s trials 2015 in England Crime in Norfolk Violence against children Incidents of violence against girls Incidents of violence against boys