“One of the victims (B.E., a minor) went missing in June 2005. The legal guardian of the victim notified the authorities of her disappearance. On her return, in August 2005, the victim reported that she was sexually exploited in a Bucharest apartment by a network of human traffickers.It was further established that the victim was recruited while being present in the apartment owned by the defendant, H.S. The investigations showed that H.S. used to personally or via other persons recruit young local women who were jobless and transport them to France where they would be handed over to other persons for sexual exploitation. It was also shown that in the period 2003-2007, the defendant attracted into his entourage girls, aged between 14 and 17, from both the city and the countryside, usually students at different Barlad highschools. He would attract them with the purpose of sexually exploiting them by having intercourse with him or other persons that would offer him certain benefits in return. The defendant would use for perpetuating this activity an apartment he owned in the town of Barlad. The apartment was equipped with electronic devices (i.e. computers, photo and recording cameras) for producing pornographic material that would subsequently be used for blackmailing the girls (if they refused the advances or propositions made by H.S., he would threaten them with publicly exposing those images on the internet or to their parents or colleagues). The recruitment of the girls would be made either by the defendant personally by simply approaching them while in public places, either by participating and endorsing as a member of the jury beauty pageants, or via already recruited girls who would introduce him to their female friends.” (White&Case LLP & UNODC).