Locations
Marlborough Grove, London, SE1
Description
A man who lured teenage girls by offering them modelling work and taking them back to his flat to sexually exploit them has been jailed.
Benjamin Agyemang, of Marlborough Grove in Southwark, was convicted after a victim-survivor came forward to police ten years after the abuse.
The 45-year-old was sentenced to 13 and a half years in jail at Inner London Crown Court on Thursday (November 9).
He was found guilty on Wednesday, September 27 of one count of attempting to procure a girl under the age of 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and four counts of sexual activity with a child.
Detectives spent two years investigating the case which spanned over a 20-year period and led them to uncover other victim-survivors.
The court heard how Agyemang targeted the girls who were all between 14 and 16-years-old at the time of the offences.
They knew Agyemang as ‘Marshay’ who lured them by offering them modelling work and then taking them back to his flat in Elephant and Castle to sexually exploit them.
In 2021, a woman reported offences of sexual assault and exploitation which took place in 2008 when she was 14 years old.
She was approached on the street by Agyemang, under the name ‘Marshay Ramone’, who told her he could get her into modelling for music videos.
Police say she began staying at his flat for weeks at a time, manipulated and unable to leave, where she would be sexually abused by Agyemang and multiple paying ‘clients’ a day.
During this time, she witnessed him sexually exploiting other girls and young women.
Agyemang was arrested following the report and police went on to identify other victims.
A school friend of the first victim-survivor was identified and contacted by officers.
Police found that when she was 15, she had gone to Agyemang’s flat on two occasions where she was sexually abused by a ‘client’.
Through careful investigation, a further victim-survivor was identified. She described how at the age of 16 she had attended Agyemang’s flat on the promise he could help her become a model.
He took her to a bar and introduced her to an older wealthy man who he suggested was important in the modelling business.
This was a lie, instead Agyemang had “sold” her as an escort without her knowledge.
She was taken to the man’s house and seriously sexually assaulted.
In June 2022 Agyemang was further arrested and charged with offences against all three victim-survivors.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape or you have information about an offender, contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency – there are specially trained officers who will listen and investigate where needed.
Detective Constable Kate Orr, from the Met’s Specialist Crime team, who carried out the investigation, said: “I would like to commend the courage and strength of these women and I hope today’s outcome provides them with some degree of closure.
“Sexual predators like Agyemang who groom girls are often able to escape justice for years due to the fear and shame they instil in their victims.
“It’s not uncommon for it to take many years before victim-survivors feel able to report offences to police.
“The fact offences may have taken place a long time ago does not make investigating them any less of a priority.
“I hope this investigation will encourage victims of sexual offending to come forward to police.
“We have specially trained officers who will listen carefully to allegations and investigate them thoroughly, with a view to getting justice for victim-survivors and protecting future victims.”