An ‘exploitative’ drug trafficking case involving three young children in High Wycombe features in a new episode of BBC One’s Crimewatch Caught.

The case followed three children, aged 12, 14 and 15-years-old who disappeared from their home in Leicestershire in February 2022.

Thames Valley Police was alerted that the children were thought to have been taken nearly 130 miles away to High Wycombe and, as Detective Inspector Pete Wall tells watchers in the new episode, which aired on BBC One today, Monday, October 21, an urgent investigation was launched.

While officers didn’t manage to track down the “exploited” youngsters, who reappeared “dishevelled and traumatised” at Leicester Station a week after going missing, their inquiries at address in and around Wycombe train station had, unbeknownst to them, helped facilitate an escape.

After the children had been safely returned home, the force continued searching for the figures behind their disappearance, which they suspected was linked to an organised crime group dealing class A drugs.

They ultimately uncovered that the organisation was being run by HMP Bullingdon inmate Keilo Senior from behind bars, with accomplices Taysharn Frimpong-Modeste his primary accomplice.

The three children had been housed with 44-year-old Tyrone Williams, of Station Road in Wycombe, where they had been forced to deal drugs including crack cocaine and heroin in the area.

An extensive investigation found three other individuals linked to the criminal enterprise, helping at various points to facilitate the children’s movement and source illegal substances.

(Image: TVP)

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One of them was named as 20-year-old Ellie Black, who reportedly gained the confidence of the children through her “global social media following” and can be seen on CCTV footage buying them train tickets in Leicester after they went missing.

The six people involved were apprehended in a coordinated effort by four police forces in May 2023 and they were handed various sentences in spring 2024.

20-year-old Senior was given a 12-year imprisonment sentence after being unanimously convicted by a jury for human trafficking and pleading guilty to being involved in the supply of class A drugs.

Frimpong-Modeste, 27, was given a nine-year sentence as well as a Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order and Williams, 44, was jailed for two years and six months.

Black was given a suspended sentence of a year and six months alongside 150 hours of unpaid work, Kelly TieTie, 20, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail and Raymond Allard was given one year and eight months behind bars.

Speaking on the BBC programme, DI Wall said: “It is extremely difficult to secure convictions around modern day slavery and trafficking offences, so we’re exhilarated with this outcome.

“The investigation demonstrates that there are people out there who are willing to exploit young and vulnerable people, and we’ll continue to bring those who offend to justice and work with partners to safeguard the young and the vulnerable.”

Crimewatch Caught is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.