Five people from Folkestone and Dover have gone on trial today accused of the sexual exploitation of a young teenage girl.

The three men and two women, along with a sixth from Leeds, face a total of 19 charges including rape, sexual activity with a child, administering a substance with intent and causing child prostitution.

A jury at Canterbury Crown Court heard allegations that the six were “involved with the sexual exploitation” of a 14-year-old girl from Slovakia.

The trial began with Judge James O’Mahony ruling that two charges of rape and sexual activity with a child against a seventh defendant, Rene Ferenc, 24, from Church Hill, Dover be dropped.

The jury, on the judge’s instruction, returned two formal not guilty verdicts and Ferenc, who sat in the public gallery with an interpreter, was formally discharged.

The six: Rene Bandy, 23, from Cheriton Road, Folkestone; Roman Bodnar, 33, from Leeds; Josef Dirda, 30, from Folkestone Road, Dover; AliceKalejova, 37, from Dover Road, Folkestone; Marian Cisar, 22, from Athelstan Road, Folkestone and Jolanda Rohalova, 40 from Brockman Road, Folkestone have all pleaded not guilty to various charges.

Prosecutor Eleanor Laws QC told the jury: “The Crown say that these defendants were in different ways and to differing degrees involved in this girl’s sexual exploitation and at various locations in Kent.

“The male defendants used her for their own sexual gratification. The Crown say she was targeted, supplied with drugs, sometimes threatened, assaulted and used by the defendants as a prostitute.”

Ms Laws told how the victim had moved to England in 2012 with her family and got to know Dirda and Cisar.

The trial continues.

Stories you might have missed

Boy, 2, wandered out of house in vest as drunk mum slept

Boy killed as he explored 'scary' building

McCann family 'troll' stole £18k from her own parents

Homeless man denies churchyard murder