Leeds Couple Sentenced for Orchestrating Vile Sex Trafficking Operation
A depraved husband and wife from Leeds have been handed substantial prison sentences for masterminding a sophisticated sex trafficking ring that preyed upon vulnerable young women from Poland and other European nations. Wieslaw Michniewicz, aged 53, and his wife Aleksandra Timoszek, 32, were convicted of multiple modern slavery and prostitution offences following a complex investigation by West Yorkshire Police.
False Promises and Forced Prostitution
The couple, both Polish nationals residing in Burnley, systematically lured women to the United Kingdom with fraudulent offers of legitimate employment. Victims were promised roles as childminders or positions in local bars and shops, only to be confronted with fabricated debts upon arrival. These women, some as young as seventeen, were then coerced into sex work under brutal conditions.
The operation forced victims to work up to twenty hours per day, seven days a week, providing sexual services. One particularly distressing case involved a teenager who was put to work in a brothel the day after her eighteenth birthday. All earnings, estimated at approximately £170,000, were confiscated by the perpetrators to finance their extravagant lifestyle.
Lavish Lifestyle Funded by Exploitation
Investigators discovered that the illicit profits were used to acquire a fleet of luxury sports cars, including a Porsche Panamera, a Porsche Carrera, and an Audi R8. Police also seized £16,000 in cash from a safe within the couple's home. Financial records indicated large sums were transferred out of the country, while CCTV footage captured the daily transportation of victims by Michniewicz and Timoszek.
The investigation identified fourteen victims aged between 17 and 31. Women deemed unsuitable upon arrival in the UK were promptly sent back to Poland. Key evidence was gathered from over a thousand pages of social media communications, travel documents, and mobile phone data, all meticulously translated from Polish.
Complex Investigation and International Cooperation
The case involved a painstaking, multi-year inquiry by specialist detectives. Following their initial arrest in September 2016, Michniewicz and Timoszek fled the country. They were later extradited back to the UK and remanded in custody until their trial commenced at Leeds Crown Court in November 2025.
The couple received assistance from Michniewicz's cousin, Mariusz Seretny, 45, and his wife, Marta Seretny, 41, who played supporting roles in the prostitution network. The investigation benefited from crucial international cooperation with Polish authorities and Europol, which helped safeguard victims and secure vital evidence.
Court Verdicts and Sentencing
On December 18, 2025, a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts against all four defendants. Sentencing took place on January 23, 2026. Wieslaw Michniewicz received a 15-year prison sentence, while Aleksandra Timoszek was jailed for seven and a half years. Mariusz Seretny was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Marta Seretny received a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work and five rehabilitation days.
Detective Superintendent Helen Steele, the Senior Investigating Officer, stated: "The victims have each suffered harrowing experiences and have been left understandably traumatised by the ordeals they were put through. We hope that it will help them in some way to know that those responsible have now been brought to justice."
She further emphasised the hidden nature of such crimes, urging the public to report any suspicions of modern slavery, which she described as "truly abhorrent" and often existing in plain sight.
