Four men have been convicted after a vulnerable 16-year-old was raped and sexually exploited during what West Midlands Police described as a “horrific ordeal”.
Arqash Zaffar, Shiraz Nassir, Mohammed Nadim and Shaban Arif were found guilty following a trial that exposed how they targeted the teenager in Birmingham before transporting her to locations in Greater Manchester and Walsall, where she suffered repeated sexual assaults.
The victim did not know any of her attackers, having only overheard them referred to by nicknames.
All four defendants have been remanded in custody and face substantial prison sentences when they return to Birmingham Crown Court on March 19 for sentencing.
All four defendants have been remanded in custody and face substantial prison sentences
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WEST MIDLANDS POLICE
The teenager’s ordeal began when she encountered Zaffar and Nadim driving a BMW along Alum Rock Road in Birmingham.
Zaffar requested her phone number, but she refused and caught a nearby bus.
Several days later, the same men approached her again on the identical street while she waited for transport.
This time, they convinced her to accept a lift to the city centre.
The four men will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on March 19
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GOOGLERather than taking her to her intended destination, Zaffar drove to an isolated location where both he and Nadim sexually assaulted the girl in the rear of the vehicle.
The men then transported her to Walsall, marking the beginning of a prolonged nightmare that would see her moved between multiple locations across the Midlands and Greater Manchester.
While travelling with Zaffar, the victim recalled being taken to collect his associate Shaban Arif before the group drove to Manchester, where arrangements had been made to meet Nassir.
Upon arriving at Nassir’s residence in Denton, the teenager was raped by both Zaffar and Nassir.
Following this attack, Zaffar and Arif took her to Walsall, where Arif had reserved a hotel room using false details about its intended occupants, though he provided his own name, vehicle registration and driving licence as identification.
Inside the room, Zaffar subjected the girl to further abuse while Arif remained present.
Later that evening, after being driven to Birmingham and back, she was taken to a hotel room where Zaffar told her he had something for her.
Four unknown men were waiting inside, and she described how they raped her in succession.
Zaffar, 41, of Persehouse Street, Walsall, was convicted on five counts of rape, four counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity without consent, and facilitating travel with intent to sexually exploit a child.
Nassir, 40, of Fir Road, Denton, was found guilty of rape, while Nadim, 45, of Holtshill Lane, Walsall, was convicted of sexual assault.
Arif, 42, of Holden Crescent, Walsall, was found guilty of facilitating travel of the child with a view of sexual exploitation.
Investigators identified the perpetrators through mobile phone records, hotel reservations, vehicle and insurance documents, and automatic number plate recognition data.
Detective Constable Stewart Garratt said: “This has been a complex investigation, it involved a number of enquiries, working in partnership with other agencies and importantly support for this child, she is commended for her bravery, I’m so pleased with these convictions for her in particular.
“These males took advantage of a clearly vulnerable teenager. What she experienced was deeply traumatic.”
He added: “She found the strength to report this and specialist child abuse officers worked extremely hard to identify these men, and in doing so have got justice for her.”
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