Child exploitation: Criminal gang 'robbed me of my son'

The mother, from East Yorkshire, did not want to be named for fear of reprisal from the gang

The mother of a 14-year-old boy who was exploited and forced to deal drugs by a criminal gang said his tormentors had "robbed her of her son".

The woman said once her son was lured in he was at their "beck and call, day or night".

According to Home Office figures in 2019-20 there were 10,613 people in the UK reported as victims of exploitation, with 47% of those aged under 18.

The woman said her son had now escaped the gang but was "changed forever".

Speaking anonymously to the BBC out of fears for her safety, the woman, from East Yorkshire, said her son had been "effectively brainwashed".

She said it began with small changes in his behaviour but ended up "like living in a world that you watch on TV".

"He was just a regular kid, the same as everybody else. He did well in school, got on well with his teachers.

"Then it was slight changes in behaviour. If he went out with his friends, he would have always called me.

"Then he started to be late. He stopped calling to tell me he was going to be late, he stopped answering his phone. I didn't recognise him any more.

"They encouraged him into crack dens and he started dealing drugs and he would disappear for longer. He would disappear overnight."

Helen Jones-Brown created charity The Right Space to help families who have children in this situation

She said she had been referred to social services in her bid to help her son and he had been put in touch with the National Referral Mechanism - the framework for identifying victims of trafficking and modern slavery.

However, she said the suggestion her son had been exploited came as a shock.

"I'd never had anything to do with social services," she said.

"I was thinking, 'I am failing here - I am failing as a parent'.

"Social services did their investigation and basically said 'we think your child is being exploited'.

"I'd never heard of exploitation. I didn't know anything about it."

Now 17, she said her son had been left traumatised by his experience and was unable to "live a normal life".

She said she hoped sharing her story would help others spot the signs.

'Effectively brainwashed'

"[It was like] being able to see your son through a thick piece of glass and not being able to touch him," she said.

"Not being able to guide or support or change the course of his life because they have effectively brainwashed him."

"People need to know that this happens under their noses, in their streets, in their towns, in their villages.

"That kid who they think is just naughty or a bit of a bad lad - might not have an option about what he is doing."

Helen Jones-Brown, founder of The Right Space, which helps families affected by exploitation, said: "It's not just children who are targeted, it's the parents and carers as well, and often they can be brought along on this journey of abuse and this heinous crime that takes place.

"The family's voice should be the loudest whenever they experience any form of exploitation - they should be heard."