A black church pastor has been jailed for 11 and a half years after being found guilty of trafficking children into Britain for use as domestic slaves

Lucy Adeniji brought two children and a 21-year-old woman to Britain from Africa illegally and used them as servants. She was convicted of 17 different counts at Isleworth Crown Court. The mother-of-five is the first person to be jailed for trafficking children into Britain for domestic servitude. In a case that has been likened to modern-day slavery, Adeniji smuggled the 3 victims into Britain on false passports, and used them as servants at her home in Ray Gardens, Barking. An illegal immigrant herself, Adeniji, 44 - originally from Nigeria - had told the victims' parents that they would have a better life in Britain, but instead viciously beat them if they failed to please her. The abuse only came to light when one of the victims escaped from Adeniji's home after being beaten. Adeniji was convicted of assault, child cruelty and facilitating illegal entry into Britain of a child. She also admitted six counts of obtaining false passports for herself and her own children and two counts of facilitating illegal entry. Adeniji faces a separate investigation into money she claimed in benefits for her own children.