Rochdale men 'plied girls with drink and drugs for sex'

Date published: 21 February 2012

A group of 11 men plied girls as young as 13-years-old with drink and drugs so they could use them for sex, Liverpool Crown Court has heard.

The offences are said to have happened in and around Rochdale in 2008 and 2009.

The court heard how the men, who are aged between 22 and 59-years-old from Rochdale and Oldham, "acted together to sexually exploit the girls.”

All deny conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16.

The court heard that some of the girls were raped and physically assaulted and some were forced to have sex with "several men in a day, several times a week".

Rachel Smith, opening the case for the prosecution, said the girls were given alcohol, food and money in return for sex but that there were times when violence was used.

Some of the defendants also took payments from other men to whom they supplied the girls for sex, the court was told.

The girls involved were not in school regularly and often "drank and smoked and hung around with little to do.”

Miss Smith said they were the "sort of children who were easy to identify, target and exploit for the sexual gratification of these men,” the BBC reported.

The court heard the men knew each other.

Two of them worked in takeaways in Heywood, four worked as cab drivers at local taxi firms, one was a student and four were jobless.

Kabeer Hassan, 24, Abdul Aziz, 41, Abdul Rauf, 43, Mohammed Sajid, 35, Adil Khan, 42, Abdul Qayyum, 43, Mohammed Amin, 44, Qamar Shahzad, 29, Liaquat Shah, 41, and Hamid Safi, 22, have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16.

A 59-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also denies the same charge.

He also denies two counts of rape, aiding and abetting a rape, one count of sexual assault and an allegation of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Mr Hassan, of Lacrosse Avenue, Oldham, and Mr Shahzad, of Tweedale Street, Rochdale, also deny rape.

Mr Aziz, of Armstrong Hurst Close, Rochdale, denies two counts of rape and one allegation of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Mr Khan, of Oswald Street, and Mr Rauf, of Darley Road,  Rochdale, have also pleaded not guilty to trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Mr Sajid, of Jepheys Street, Rochdale, denies trafficking, two counts of rape and one allegation of sexual activity with a child.

Mr Amin, of Falinge Road, Rochdale, denies sexual assault.

Mr Shah and Mr Safi, both of Kensington Street, Rochdale, each denied two counts of rape and Mr Safi has also pleaded not guilty to trafficking.

Mr Aziz, Mr Khan, Mr Safi and the 59-year-old are currently in custody.

Mr Qayyum, of Ramsay Street, Rochdale, and the rest of the defendants are on bail.