Rotherham child abductor jailed for three years

Vejahudin Ghorbani (37), of Park Mount, Rotherham, admitted one count of trafficking and two counts of child abduction when he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday.

Ghorbani met the girls in a park in Eastwood, Rotherham on the afternoon of Saturday, September 6, last year and took them home to his flat, where he locked them in.

The girls were reported missing at 10.20pm that evening when they failed to return home, sparking a large-scale police search.

They returned home the following morning after finding Ghorbani’s keys and told police what had happened.

Ghorbani was arrested a short time later and charged on the Monday morning.

The court heard Ghorbani offered one girl £20 for sexual favours and made references to sexual acts.

Investigating officer Det Con Paul Rooney said: “This man preyed on these young, vulnerable girls, the effect this had on them should not be underestimated.

“I would like to praise them for coming forward and reporting their ordeal to police and for the courage they have shown throughout this process.

“I would also like to thank the families for their trust and confidence in to secure this conviction and the local community for their help with the search.

“It is some small consolation for the victims and their families that Ghorbani has pleaded guilty and not forced them to relive their ordeal in court.

“We utilised trafficking legislation as we felt that most accurately described the actions of this man.

“This is a great tool to help us tackle crimes against children and young people.

“We hope that by securing this conviction we are sending a warning to those still choosing to exploit young people.”