Rotherham predators jailed for 40 years after grooming teens they called 'fresh meat'. (Photograph by NCA/PA Wire)
(EPICSTORIAN ) — Two men at the heart of a notorious child sexual exploitation ring in Rotherham were sentenced to a combined 38.5 years in prison today, in a case that exposed the widespread grooming of vulnerable teenagers.
Romulad Stefan Houphouet, 37, and Absolom Sigiyo, 41, preyed on girls they callously dubbed “fresh meat,” subjecting them to relentless abuse while leveraging alcohol and psychological manipulation to ensure compliance.
Sheffield Crown Court heard during a five-week trial that the defendants, both foreign nationals, targeted girls aged under 16 living in a local children’s home.
Rotherham Rapists Isolated Victims
The victims endured weekly sexual assaults over six months in 2015, with Houphouet and Sigiyo orchestrating a network of “house parties” to isolate and exploit them.
Judge Sarah Wright condemned the pair for inflicting “severe, enduring psychological harm,” sentencing Houphouet to 20 years and Sigiyo to 18.5 years.
Prosecutor Gordon Stables detailed how the men groomed the teens by providing cigarettes, alcohol, and feigned affection, fostering dependency before escalating to rape. “Their intent was calculated: condition these girls to equate survival with submission,” Stables told jurors.
One victim was assaulted in an alleyway hours after meeting Houphouet, while Sigiyo exploited the other in a Rotherham residence shared with associates.
Judge Wright praised the survivors’ “extraordinary bravery” during the trial, noting they testified via video link to avoid facing their attackers. “You relived unimaginable trauma so others might be spared,” she said. Both victims, now in their late 20s, continue to grapple with the aftermath of abuse described as “ritualized degradation.”
A third defendant, Polish national Jacek Brzozowski, 35, was acquitted of inciting sexual activity but admitted to penetrative abuse earlier this year. He awaits sentencing on April 14.
The case reignited scrutiny of Rotherham’s historic child exploitation scandals, where systemic failures allowed gangs to abuse over 1,500 children between 1997 and 2013.
Stables emphasized the men’s “premeditated cruelty,” citing their practice of discarding victims “like used goods” post-assault.
Houphouet, of Burngreave, and Sigiyo, of Catcliffe, showed no remorse during proceedings. Detectives hailed the verdict as a testament to survivors’ resilience, urging others to come forward.
“Today’s sentences send a clear message: justice will relentlessly pursue those who exploit the vulnerable,” said South Yorkshire Police in a statement.
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As the men were led to prison, advocacy groups renewed calls for tighter safeguards in child residential care.
Meanwhile, the survivors’ families expressed relief, stating, “No sentence undoes their pain, but today, their voices finally triumphed.”
