The way that it was covered in the press at the time, it sounded like groups of creepy men convincing poorly educated low-class girls with few prospects in life to exchange sexual favours for booze and drugs. Unsettling, but not unprecedented. There's a scene in the teen film "Kidulthood" (2006) where Jaime Winston's character offers a drug dealer oral sex for money and that's the image I had.
The reality is so much worse. As you say, it was torture, not sex.
After the Southport riots, a woman with no previous received a 15 month sentence because she posted "burn down the mosque" on a local community Facebook group with 5,000 members. Others received similarly tough sentences. The government had to release existing prisoners early to create space for people like her and those who actively participated in the rioting.
If the full extent of these rape gangs in various towns, and perhaps any connections that may exist between them, were revealed, there would be howling fury at the communities that these men come from. It's not an exaggeration to say they would be viewed as invaders.
There won't be enough room to imprison those who would take to the streets, let alone the thousands who encourage them with "burn down the mosque" and similar sentiments. We would be in serious danger of war breaking out between the white population and Islam. I think Elon Musk would love this.