CONVICTED GROOMING GANG MEMBER IN ROTHERHAM CHILD EXPLOITATION CASE
Seven men have been convicted of charges related to grooming and exploiting young girls, including one individual who was sexually abused by at least 100 men of Asian origin before reaching the age of 16.During the trial at Sheffield Crown Court, it was revealed that these men targeted vulnerable teenagers over a period of seven years in Rotherham, subjecting them to acts of a degrading and violent nature.
The gang faced convictions for multiple offences, including rape and indecent assault.
A young woman recounted being bitten and raped by two of the men in Sherwood Forest while under the influence of drugs.
The defendants—Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar (37), Asif Ali (33), Tanweer Ali (37), Salah Ahmed El-Hakam (39), Nabeel Kurshid (35), Iqlak Yousaf (34), and one unnamed man—were found guilty after a lengthy trial that lasted more than eight weeks.
Another defendant, Ajmal Rafiq (39), was acquitted of charges of false imprisonment and indecent assault.
Sentencing is scheduled for 16 November.
These convictions are part of Operation Stovewood, an extensive investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, which has identified over 1,500 victims.
The court heard how the perpetrators, all of British Pakistani heritage, exploited the girls’ vulnerabilities, luring them with promises of friendship but then sexually assaulting them and passing them on to others.
Prosecutor Michelle Colborne QC described how the girls, often too immature to understand they were being groomed, believed that sex was a cost of friendship.
Operation Stovewood, initiated in 2014 after reports of abuse dating from 1997 to 2013, is the largest of its kind in the UK.
Managed by the NCA, it involves over 150 officers, with additional personnel planned, and has resulted in 14 convictions so far, with further charges pending.
The investigation has led to numerous arrests and charges.
Evidence indicated that the offenders used threats, alcohol, drugs, and violence to control the victims.
One girl was threatened with abandonment in remote areas if she refused sex, while another was taken to meet older taxi drivers who subsequently abused her.
An incident also involved a girl being raped in a car, during which the attacker told her it would be better to get it over with.
Some victims had previous exploitation by other men in Rotherham, and assaults occurred in various locations across the town, including parks, supermarkets, and remote sites.
One girl, aged 14, was drugged and driven to Sherwood Forest, where she was raped by multiple men, leaving her pregnant and forcing her to terminate.
The defendants denied the allegations, claiming that any acts were consensual or false.
A recorded conversation in July 2015 caught Ali Akhtar discussing how some girls had come forward to make money.
CPS representative Mike Duffy emphasized that the men intentionally targeted vulnerable teenagers for sexual exploitation, with evidence supporting the victims' accounts leading to their convictions.
The men face upcoming sentencing proceedings.
