Three men jailed for drugging and raping 12-year-old girl in Kent

Three men who drugged and raped a 12-year-old girl in Kent have been jailed for more than 50 years in total.

Kevin Horvath, 26, and Ivan Turtak, 38, first saw the victim in a supermarket car park in Dover on 11 August, 2024, and encouraged her to get into their vehicle.

They then plied her with drugs including crystal methamphetamine and amphetamine before she was raped and subjected to sexual acts by them and a third man, Ernest Gunar, 27.

The girl's ordeal ended when she managed to escape from her captors after waking up before them two days later, on 13 August 2024.

The three men were jailed for the rape of a 12-year-old girl along with a string of other sexual offences at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday.

The judge told the court the victim still has nightmares, does not have any friends and cannot feel comfortable around large groups of people.

Relaying her words, Judge Sarah Counsell said: "I don't feel like the same girl anymore, I just want to be her again and I hope that I will be her again."

Horvath and Turtak were each jailed for 17 years while Gunar was jailed for 19 years.

All three will also serve three years of an extended licence period and received concurrent sentences for other counts of rape, sexual assault and indecent images.

The judge said that while the initial meeting with the girl appeared random, the three men's actions quickly became organised as they moved between addresses, including Gunar's caravan in nearby Folkestone.

The men have shown little or no remorse and were assessed by the judge as dangerous enough to warrant extended sentences.

During their trial, they tried to claim the girl had told them she was 19 or 20 and one of the defendants described the young victim as "sexually promiscuous".

"She does not look anywhere near 19 or 20," Judge Counsell said.

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The men were found guilty of rape and other sexual offences at the court in June.

Gunar was convicted of two counts of rape against a child under 13; Turtak was convicted of one count; and Horvath was convicted of sexual assault.

Horvath had already admitted three counts of rape against a child under 13, and one charge of assault by penetration of a child under 13.

Gunar, who is thought to be his cousin, had also admitted one charge of rape.

Turtak initially denied rape but did admit taking indecent photos of a child.

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