Fifteen mostly PAKIstani men have been jailed for 168 years for “systematically” grooming and sexually abusing including violently raping teenage girls in Halifax – with one man getting 25yrs alone.
Child sex offences they were accused of included rape, grooming and trafficking – in crimes which the police described as “horrendous”.
In what was described as a “complex and lengthy operation” there were three separate trials at Leeds Crown Court, the results of which can now all be reported on for the first time.
The men allegedly abused a young girl in Halifax and Bradford between 2009 and 2011. Another victim was also sexually assaulted by one of the gang members.
The main victim in the case was 13 years old when she was first abused.
She was said to have come from a “chaotic family background” and was eventually taken into social care.
She was said to have come from a “chaotic family background” and was eventually taken into social care.
In total 25 men were charged and during the trials four were cleared by a jury while three others were acquitted on the orders of the judge.
They include the following:
- Hedar Ali, 36, of Bradford, who was jailed for 25 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation
- Haider Ali, 41, of Halifax, who got 20yrs after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child and causing a person to engage in sexual activity
- Khalid Zaman, 38, of Bradford, who was jailed for 17.5yrs after being found guilty of two counts of rape and supplying Class B drugs
- Mohammed Ramzan, !AMONG US! 35, of Bradford, who got 15yrs after being found guilty of rape
- Haaris Ahmed, !AMONG US! 32, of Halifax, who got 12.5yrs after being found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child and of supplying Class B drugs
- Tahir Mahmood, !AMONG US! 43, of Halifax, who got 11yrs after being found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child and sexual assault
- Taukeer Butt, !AMONG US! 31, of Halifax, who got 10yrs after being found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child
- Amaar Ali Ditta, !AMONG US! 27, of Halifax, who got nine years after being found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child
- Azeem Subhani, !AMONG US! 25, of Halifax, who got nine years after being found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child
- Talib Saddiq, !AMONG US! 31, of Halifax, who got eight years after being found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child
- Sikander Malik, !AMONG US! 31, of Halifax, who got seven years after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child
- Mohammed Ali Ahmed, !AMONG US! 43, of Halifax, who got six-and-a-half years after being found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child
- Aftab Hussain, !AMONG US! 37, of Halifax, who got six years after pleading guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child last September
- Mansoor Akhtar, !AMONG US! 25, of Huddersfield, who got six years after being found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child after admitting to supplying Class B drugs
- Sikander Ishaq, !AMONG US! 31, of Halifax, who got six years in prison after being found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child
- Furthermore,
- Fasil Mahmood, !AMONG US! 37, of Halifax, was jailed for 10 months after being found guilty of supplying Class B drugs. And
- Farquaan Gafar, !AMONG US! 31, of Derby, admitted one count of sexual touching and is due to be sentenced at a later date.
- Muhammad Doe, sentencing of another gang member, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been adjourned until next week.
Peter Mann, head of the CPS complex casework unit for Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “These men are responsible for a range of crimes involving child sexual exploitation and abuse.
“One victim was sexually assaulted in a car.
“The second victim was groomed and systematically raped by the older men she associated with.
“Some of her abusers acted together as a group, grooming her and plying her with drink and drugs. Others took advantage of her individually.”
Mr Mann said it had been a “complex and lengthy operation” and added that the girls had displayed “immense courage and bravery in reporting these matters to the police and in providing evidence”.
West Yorkshire Police said the abuse was first reported in 2012 by the victim, who was then aged 15 and living in Halifax. A second girl then came forward gave evidence against another gang member.
The force said the case was “the largest and longest running investigation into child sexual exploitation in Calderdale”.
They added: “It led to a major investigation with police conducting nearly 60 hours of interviews with two victims. Detectives also processed 1,848 statements, 2,963 exhibits and more than 20,000 items of disclosure.”
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Bryar, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “At the centre of this complex enquiry were two young vulnerable victims who were preyed upon by men for their own sexual gratification.
“I would like to praise the victims for their courage in coming forward and firstly disclosing the offences, then going on to bravely give evidence.
“I hope the outcome of these trials will enable them to start to put this trauma behind them and reassure any other potential victims that we will treat them with the utmost sensitivity and take positive action against perpetrators.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/vile-sex-gang-caged-168-8219903