Two individuals have received custodial sentences for orchestrating a sex trafficking operation that spanned Northern Ireland over nearly three years. Gerald Corrigan, aged 66 from Keeragh Park in Pomeroy, was sentenced to 16 months comprising eight months in custody and eight months on licence. Mavie Martins Mariano, aged 51 from Ard Aveen Park in Bessbrook, received a three-year sentence broken down as three months in custody and 33 months on licence. According to BBC News, both defendants had already spent time on remand in custody, meaning their time served was likely to be credited against their sentences.
The sentencing took place at Dungannon Crown Court on Tuesday before Judge Brian Sherrard. The judge acknowledged that both defendants had entered guilty pleas and demonstrated remorse, factors he considered when determining their sentences. He also took into account the impact of imprisonment on Mariano's family and Corrigan's existing health difficulties when delivering his judgment.
You were both concerned in the trafficking of women for the purpose of sexual exploitation and you both acquired a considerable amount of money during this offending period.Judge Sherrard noted that the case differed from typical trafficking prosecutions in that there was no evidence of threats, violence, or coercion, with the prosecution accepting that the women involved had acted voluntarily.
How was the operation discovered?
The pair were arrested in November 2022 during what the Police Service of Northern Ireland described as its largest operation against human trafficking at that time. The investigation, which involved support from An Garda Síochána, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, the National Crime Agency and the Public Prosecution Service, resulted in raids on 27 brothels across Northern Ireland with approximately 150 officers deployed. The operation targeted an organised crime group trafficking people into both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with many of the people identified being Brazilian women and transgender individuals.
What were the specific charges?
Corrigan pleaded guilty to human trafficking, possessing criminal property, and transferring criminal property. Mariano pleaded guilty to human trafficking, acquiring criminal property, possessing criminal property, transferring criminal property, brothel keeping, and controlling prostitution. The offences occurred between 23 March 2020 and 21 November 2022, spanning a period of two years and eight months.
During the prosecution's case summary at a previous hearing on 22 September at Dungannon Crown Court, the Crown outlined how the operation centred on organising sex work and controlling prostitution throughout Northern Ireland. A prosecuting barrister stated that approximately £174,000 was transferred between the two defendants' accounts during the offending period.
What was Mariano's role in the operation?
Mariano held a lead position in the offending, according to the prosecution. She admitted during police interview to booking properties for women described as escorts, with an apartment booked on 22 occasions for sex workers. The prosecution argued that arranging and organising such properties constituted controlling prostitution. Mariano also admitted to helping organise escort advertisements and arranging the movement of approximately five to six women per week.
The prosecution highlighted that Mariano had funded a trip to Turkey for gastric implant surgery at a substantial cost, presented as evidence of financial benefit from the operation. However, the defence countered this characterisation, with a defence barrister arguing that the procedure's cost was modest and that Mariano lacked the trappings of wealth. The defence barrister noted that if Mariano had possessed significant money, she would have sought such treatment privately in a location like Dublin rather than travelling to Turkey, where such procedures are considerably cheaper and carry documented health risks.
The defence also contended that Mariano was not a principal organiser and played no leading role in the scheme. A defence barrister raised concerns about the impact a custodial sentence would have on her family circumstances.
What was Corrigan's involvement?
Corrigan's primary function within the operation was transporting sex workers between locations. He accepted during police interview that he had deposited money into his bank account knowing it derived from prostitution. The prosecution characterised his role as moving sex workers with knowledge and acceptance that they were being exploited. However, the defence argued that Corrigan was not involved in the overall scheme's planning and that any planning in which he participated was limited in scope. The defence also noted that Corrigan had already served 10 months in custody on remand and suffered from ill health, including prostate cancer.
What did the court conclude about coercion?
I acknowledge this is not a case involving threats or violence and it is accepted by the prosecution in this case there is no evidence of coercion and the defence contend these women were acting voluntarily.This distinction was central to the defence strategy, with barristers emphasising that the women involved were adult individuals engaging in sex work of their own volition. The prosecution acknowledged this absence of coercion, though a prosecuting barrister maintained that harm remained inherent in this type of offending, stating it was built into the structure of the operation.
Key Facts
- Gerald Corrigan received 16 months (eight months custody, eight months licence); Mavie Martins Mariano received three years (three months custody, 33 months licence)
- The operation transferred approximately £174,000 between the defendants' accounts over the 32-month period from 23 March 2020 to 21 November 2022
- The November 2022 investigation resulted in raids on 27 brothels across Northern Ireland with around 150 officers involved
- Both defendants pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, which Judge Sherrard considered in sentencing
- The prosecution accepted there was no evidence of threats, violence, or coercion of the women involved in the operation
