TWO Sandwell men have been charged with a string of serious sexual offences following a nationwide police swoop.

Ian Prestleton, from Cradley Heath, and Alan Priest, from Rowley Regis, are accused of being part of a 10-strong gang accused of child sexual exploitation involving two teenage boys.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said the gang had allegedly befriended and abused the boys aged between 13 and 15 during 2009 and 2010.

Specialist child protection officers arrested the men from across England on Monday evening in relation to child sex offences against the teenagers – one from Coventry and one from Leicester – and other crimes.

Unemployed Prestleton, aged 53, of High Haden Road, is charged with the rape of a boy aged 13 to 15, arranging or facilitating the prostitution or involvement in pornography of a child aged 13 to 17 years, engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to15 and causing or inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Driver Alan Priest, aged 63, of Holly Road, faces two counts of rape of a boy aged 13 to 15 years of age, two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a boy 13 to 15, engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15 and with arranging or facilitating the prostitution or involvement in pornography of a child aged 13 to 17 years.

Seven other men from Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent and London face similar charges and all nine will appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on Tuesday August 18.

Photographer Michael Godbold, aged 58, of Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, is also charged with making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, three counts of possession of a controlled Class A drug, possession of Class B drugs and possessing an imitation firearm.

Caretaker Peter Joynes, aged 58, of Canberra Way, Highgate, Birmingham, is also charged making and possessing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child.

The tenth gang member Tahir Hussain, aged 33, of St Joseph’s Road, Ward End, appeared before the same court on yesterday, facing similar sexual offences, including four counts of rape, plus trafficking persons within the UK for sexual exploitation.

He was remanded in custody awaiting a trial which will be heard on Monday August 24.