International arrest warrants have been issued for three members of a gang alleged to have staged a ‘campaign of rape’ against Bradford prostitutes.

The men are understood to have fled the country after police began their probe into the assaults.

Yesterday a father-of-six was told he faced up to 19 years behind bars after a jury found him guilty of involvement in the case.

Slovakian Lubomir Kora will be sentenced next month but his conviction yesterday means detectives can issue international arrest warrants for three other men.

The 33-year-old, who lived with his wife and children at a hostel in Idle Road, Bradford, showed no emotion as an interpreter told him the Bradford Crown Court jury had unanimously found him guilty of conspiracy to rape.

The prosecution alleged that Kora and the other men lured five sex workers into his Toyota Previa people carrier for their own sexual gratification.

In February and March this year there were a spate of incidents involving prostitutes who got into the vehicle after being picked up by one or two men.

The jury heard harrowing evidence of how some of the women were gang raped after Kora’s accomplices jumped out from their hiding place in the back of the vehicle.

One prostitute’s shocking ordeal was photographed by Kora using his mobile phone.

Jurors were shown more than 20 sexually-explicit pictures of the attack.

Kora claimed in court that the woman posed for one of the photographs.

During the trial he named three relatives, Jan Dzudza, Matus Tipan and Miroslav Karicka, as the men who had sex with the prostitute while he took photographs from the driver’s seat of the people carrier.

Kora claimed he had been present on only two occasions when prostitutes were picked up.

He maintained that the woman who was photographed consented to sex with the men.

Judge Roger Scott said he would sentence Kora on the basis that he was the driver on four occasions.

The judge described the offending as “a campaign of rape”.

The judge adjourned Kora’s sentence until October 10.

He warned him: “I have not discussed the guidelines but it seems to me that this case falls into the sentencing range of 13 years to 19 years.

“So I inform you that is what the likely sentencing range is going to be.

“You are remanded in custody until that date.”

Prosecutor Stephen Wood told Judge Scott that police were issuing international arrest warrants to bring the three other alleged rapists in the gang back to the UK to face justice.

Mr Wood said Kora had previous convictions in Slovakia, but none for sexual offences.

His last conviction was five years ago when he was given a suspended prison sentence and probation for rowdyism.

After serving that sentence he moved to Britain with his family.

His wife wept quietly in the public gallery as the jury returned its guilty verdict.

Judge Scott commended Detective Sergeant Graham Weldon and Investigative Support Officer Michelle Hallas, who Mr Wood described as his “right arm” in the case.

'He should rot in jail' says victim

The youngest victim of Lubomir Kora’s “campaign of rape” today re-lived her “awful” experience and said no girl deserved such treatment.

As Kora was warned by a judge that he could face up to 19 years behind bars, the teenager said: “He should rot in jail. He is disgusting.”

And the 19-year-old woman said she feared there could be other victims of the rape gang who had not come forward.

The Bradford teenager, who cannot be identified, said: “They could have done it to anybody, even younger girls, not just girls working round that area.

“I strongly believe, from what I have heard, that there are more victims out there who are too scared to come forward.”

The court heard the teenager agreed to have sex with Kora and another man but when she got in their vehicle two other men climbed over the back seats from where they had been hiding.

She was struck in the face, her clothing ripped and she was raped by three of the men.

After the ordeal she was given back her clothes and allowed to leave the vehicle. She suffered bruising to her face, body and legs.

She said: “He is a horrible man. I can’t believe that he said he felt sick and dirty about it. He should have acted like a man and admitted what he had done. Instead, he has just lied about everything.”

The girl said that after the rape she was depressed and had to take tablets. She still has nightmares about what happened but she said she had refused to let it ruin her life and had managed to quit prostitution and drug-taking.

“I don’t do drugs anymore. My last 23 drugs tests have been negative,” she said. “I am also off the streets and now I know he is going to prison I won’t be going back on the streets.”

She added: “I am surprised but happy that he has been found guilty and is going to prison for a long time. I thought he might be found not guilty and he would be out to do it again.

“At the time of this I was on drugs and I had been attacked three times before by men. When it happened this time I didn’t report it straight away because I didn’t think anything would be done.

“But when I went to the Bridge Project I saw that it had happened to other girls, so I went to the police station and made a statement and then I identified him.

“It affected me a lot. It was an awful experience. But it has changed my life for the better now.”

e-mail: steve.wright@telegraphandargus.co.uk