A man from Dovecot trafficked a 15-year-old boy from his home and forced him to deal drugs more than 300 miles away.
Connor Hartley, 20, trafficked the Merseyside teenager to the Newquay area of Devon for purposes of County Lines drug dealing.
The boy was reported missing in Liverpool and found ten days later in Newquay, informing officers he was lost and had been sleeping rough in a park.
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Hartley, of Stonefield Road, Dovecot, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday and was sentenced after pleading guilty to arranging or facilitating the travel of an individual for exploitation under Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act; and possession with intent to supply cannabis.
The case is the first of its kind in the North West and following the sentencing, Detective Constable Leighanne Davies described Hartley's actions as 'nothing less than cruelty'.
She said: “We’re pleased that this landmark case has come to a successful conclusion and that Hartley will now be spending a significant amount of time in custody.
"To force a young boy to deal drugs in an unfamiliar area, far from his family, is nothing less than cruelty, a view shared by the courts.
“This is the first prosecution of its kind in the North West region, and shows the powers police and the courts now hold to identify such criminal activity, and bring those involved to justice in a variety of ways.
"The exploitation of young people to carry out crime is not a new phenomenon, but law enforcement is gaining a greater understanding of the signs to spot, and how to quickly find and safeguard those being targeted.
“As this investigation has shown once again, regional boundaries do not matter and we work closely with forces and other agencies in order to shut County Lines down.
“Ultimately everyone should be warned that if you get involved in crime, you risk facing the consequences."
Hartley was given a four year prison sentence for possession with intent to supply cannabis and modern day slavery.
A slavery trafficking prevention order was also issued.
People are asked to report any concerns to police via 101, via Twitter @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.
Read more here about how to spot the signs of exploitation linked to drug dealing and the Eyes Open campaign, introduced by Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership.
