A Romanian sex trafficker who was convicted in October despite skipping bail is being hunted by Greater Manchester Police.
Florin Radu, 30, was convicted in absence of trafficking, controlling prostitution for gain and assault in October after he abused a Romanian woman across different areas of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands from August 2013.
The 23-year-old was brought to the UK believing that she would become a waitress, but was forced into prostitution by Radu, who took all of the money she earnt and beat her if she refused to engage in sexual activity.
In November 2013 the woman escaped and alerted police, who arrested Radu at Luton Airport on March 6 2014. However, he failed to appear at his trial after being bailed.
And Detective Constable Simon Hurdley appealed for the public’s assistance in hunting what he described as a ‘predator’.
“He is a predator who preyed on a vulnerable woman who believed that she was coming to the UK for a better life before he got hold of her and made her life a misery, putting her through one horrific ordeal after another,” he said.
“We have been trying to trace Radu for some time and have exhausted all methods and so I would now like to ask for the public’s help to find him.
“We know he has links across the West Midlands and Greater Manchester as some other areas such as Luton so he truly could be anywhere.
“If you believe you may have seen him or you have any information on his whereabouts then please contact police.”
Radu is not known to have a fixed abode, but has links to Greater Manchester areas Fallowfield, Oldham and Wigan, as well as Dudley, Wolverhampton and Coventry in the West Midlands.
Anybody with information should contact police on 0161 856 5017 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Image courtesy of Eugene Wineblat, via Flickr, with thanks
