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Sex traffickers who told victim she ‘didn’t deserve to eat’ jailed

Sebastian Zimoch, Anna Zimoch, Michael Lozinski and Rafal Lacki (Metropolitan Police)
Sebastian Zimoch, Anna Zimoch, Michael Lozinski and Rafal Lacki (Metropolitan Police)

A gang of sex traffickers who exploited 300 Polish women have been jailed for a total of 20 years - as one brave teenage victim they starved and tortured told of her ordeal.

Sebastian Zimoch, 48, and his 45-year-old wife Anna made £500,000 turning the Golden Kiss escort empire into one of the largest in London and the South East.

Bella, then 18 and unable to speak English, was sent to the UK after her mother died in Poland and promised work.

But she was picked up by two “big and dangerous” men in Gravesend, Kent and taken to one of seven brothels the organised crime group controlled in Harrow, Hayes, Forest Gate, Docklands and Harlow, Essex.

Over several months, she was forced to have sex “all day and night like a machine”.

Arab clients in the West End paid £3,000-a-night for her services but she received just £200, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

Bella told reporters: “When I arrived at the house, they said, ‘She’s young, she’s blonde, they’re going to like her’.

“I asked, ‘Sorry, what am I here to do?’, they replied, ‘Are you stupid or blind, bitch?’

“Within five minutes the first man came. He was 16-years-old and I will remember that for the rest of my life. That first day I had 10 or 12 guys.

“The times when it was five or six clients, they would say, ‘That’s too small’.”

Suspect arrested by police and victim ‘Bella’ (Metropolitan Police)
Suspect arrested by police and victim ‘Bella’ (Metropolitan Police)

Bella was fed cocaine to prevent her from sleeping and twice overdosed.

Once she was starved for two days. After asking for food from the Zimochs’ packed fridge, an enforcer barked: “You don’t deserve to eat.”

Another spat in her face when she refused to sleep with a “dirty man who was too old”.

Bella, forced to work on her 19th birthday, added: “I never in my life thought this would happen to me. It was a shock - someone just took my freedom. I was scared for my life.”

In sheer desperation, she managed to escape and alert police in April 2020.

The Zimochs, of Carlton Road, Romford, who set up the business in 2015, were convicted of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view of exploitation and conspiracy to control prostitution for gain. Sebastian was jailed for eight years.

Anna received a two-year jail sentence suspended for 24 months and was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

Escort receptionist Gregaor Borowka, 44, of Yeading Avenue, Harrow, for three years and nine months.

Michael Lozinski, 53, whose home in Berwick Avenue, Hayes was turned into a brothel, was jailed for seven years.

Driver Rafal Lacki, 41, of Felmongers, Harlow was jailed for 18 months.

However, he was released on licence as he had already served nine months by the time of the sentencing.

Detective Inspector Esther Richardson, of the Met’s Central Specialist Crime, said the Zimochs’ syndicate were motivated by “greed and a sense of entitlement”.

Around 134 women were safeguarded during Scotland Yard’s 12-month probe.

She said: “My team have worked tirelessly to uncover the true scale of this illegal operation.

“Often those affected do not see themselves as potential victims of sexual exploitation and many will have been coerced into this life to make money for an organised crime network.

“Victims are often told the police and authorities in the UK are not to be trusted and with limited English are unable to seek help, even if they want to.”

Det Insp Richardson warned Britain had not yet seen the effects of the arrival of hundreds of vulnerable Ukrainian women since Russia’s invasion.

But added: “We believe there are victims of modern slavery in every borough across London and the public may encounter them every day, possibly without realising.

“As well as being sexually exploited, victims have been found working in construction, domestic servitude, agriculture, cannabis factories and in places you use yourself, such as car washes, barbers and nail bars.”

Bella, who remains in London, concluded: “I hope my story will help keep young vulnerable woman and children safe. Modern slavery needs to be stopped immediately. After today, I will be looking forward to the future.”

The Salvation Army’s 24-hour confidential helpline is on 0800 808 3733.

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.