In 2019, a criminal case was initiated in the Leningrad region against a group of pimps who involved underage girls in prostitution, used by wealthy and influential people, according to an investigation by «Important Stories» and «Verstka». None of the clients were held accountable, only the pimps received prison sentences, although well-known names appeared in witness testimonies. For example, in testimonies and in wiretaps of conversations between pimps and girls included in the case materials, Oleg Deripaska is repeatedly mentioned.
The network for finding girls operated for at least two years (2018–2019) under the guise of regional, often children's, beauty contests, modeling agencies, dating sites, and themed groups in messengers. Five people became defendants in the criminal case: Svetlana Titova, Alexandra Shantyreva, Olga Goncharova, Maxim Nekozyrev, and Anastasia Yakusheva.
According to the case materials, 15–16-year-old girls, who were in high demand, were sought in the regions, brought to Moscow, and introduced to wealthy men. The criminals' goal was to ensure the girl received regular maintenance, half of which was taken by the «managers». Some girls were forced to fake virginity using paint, and documents were forged to raise or lower the schoolgirls' age depending on the client's wishes.
The investigation tells about two underage girls who, according to them, provided services to Deripaska, and he knew their age. One of them was 15 years old at the time, the other 17. They not only testified during interrogations at the Investigative Committee but also previously told friends, and the wiretaps of conversations were included in the case materials.
As one of the girls reported, the billionaire takes young girls, of legal age or almost legal age — on the principle of «so they won't harm». «Well, like, they usually don't really understand the context and even if they want to harm, they can't do much»,— she explained the businessman's passion for tender age.
Another client of these same pimps is named as Alexander Usov — former co-owner of the woodworking company «Soyuz» and business partner of the family of former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. And despite the fact that the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for criminal liability for purchasing sexual services from minors, out of dozens of clients of the girls mentioned in the case, only Usov was charged under this article. Oleg Deripaska's name is not in the indictment.
One of the investigators working on the criminal case gave this response to journalists: «The operatives brought information about the clients. Our superiors, on the prosecutor's command, told us not to interfere. All the boys and girls are adults, they understand with half a thought».
In the end, only the pimps went to prison.
* Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent» and «undesirable» organization.
** Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent».