Amos Ocheng

Two men, Amos Ocheng and Dickson Ngaunde, were jailed following a complex police investigation into the grooming, exploitation, and rape of vulnerable young women in Preston, Lancashire. The operation, named Operation Command, was launched in 2019 after reports emerged of sexual assaults on several girls aged between 14 and 19.

Amos Ocheng, 51, from Winckley Square in Preston, was convicted after a trial of raping three girls, three counts of trafficking, and three counts of supplying drugs. The offences, all committed in Preston during 2019, involved a pattern of befriending young, vulnerable females for sexual gratification. Ocheng, who also used the aliases Max and Tyrese, targeted the victims systematically, exploiting their vulnerabilities through grooming and drug supply before committing the rapes and trafficking them for sexual purposes.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Holgate, who led the investigation for Lancashire Police, described the behaviour as a deliberate pattern aimed at sexual exploitation. 'There was a pattern of behaviour indulged in by both these men where young, vulnerable females are befriended for one singular purpose, their own sexual gratification,' Holgate stated. The victims suffered severe trauma, with reports including one attempting suicide and another becoming homeless as a result of the abuse.

On 14 May 2021, Ocheng was sentenced to a total of 27 years' imprisonment at Preston Crown Court and was designated a dangerous offender, reflecting the severity and ongoing risk posed by his actions. The convictions were secured through evidence presented by Lancashire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, with the trial jury delivering guilty verdicts after careful consideration.