A MOTHER who plied a teenage girl with drink and drugs before forcing her to have sex with men has been jailed.

Karen Potter, 35, of Harrison Road, Worthing, is starting a 10 year jail sentence.

The mother-of-two was found guilty of arranging the prostitution of two girls on three occasions – twice with Neil Oxlade and once with Daniel McCaw - and engaging in sexual activity with the girls in Hove and Worthing.

The offences were committed against two girls known to them all, aged between 13 and 15.

Potter was sentenced to ten years, having been convicted of sexual activity with a child and sexual activity in the presence of a child and facilitating prostitution.

Oxlade, of Colwyn Bay, Wales, was sentenced to six and a half years, having been convicted of sexual activity with a child, sexual activity in the presence of a child, both with Potter, and two offences of obtaining sexual services of a child.

McCaw, of Blacksmiths Crescent Sompting, was sentenced to five years, having been convicted of two offences with Potter of sexual activity with a child. He was found not guilty of rape.

The jury heard how things were strained for Potter financially leading her to set up a fake glamour shoot with Oxlade with the intention of arranging sex for him with a teenage girl.

The 13-year-old girl was then plied with vodka and asked to take photos of the pair having sex, before the pair engaged the girl in sex.

On another another occasion Potter plied the girl with alcohol and cannabis, again with the intention of prostituting the girl. Potter had sex with McCaw in front of the girl, before both engaged the 13-year-old in sex.

The court also heard how Potter prostituted another girl by driving the 15-year-old, who was in a onesie, to meet Oxlade for sex down a secluded path at nighttime.

Sentencing, Judge David Rennie, said Potter “showed a truly shocking breach of trust”.

He said: “It appears you were increasingly tight financially.

“Having said that, there are thousands of households that know first-hand just how stressful financial hardship is.

“However, hardly any of them would dream of doing what you decided to do - namely the pimping out of a child or young person. It’s almost beggars belief, but that is the choice you made.”

The prosecution followed an investigation by West Sussex safeguarding detectives.

Detective inspector Dave Payne said: “This is another example of the way in which vulnerable young people can be targeted by opportunist people, and shows our determination to confront child sexual exploitation.”