BREAKING: 'Evil gang' of seven men found guilty of 24 CSE offences

SEVEN men have been found guilty of child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences against five girls — and an eighth man has been cleared of all charges.
L-R TOP: Iqlak Yousaf , Asif Ali, Tanweer Ali: BOTTOM L-R; Salah El-Hakam, Nabeel Kurshid, Mohammed Imran AkhtarL-R TOP: Iqlak Yousaf , Asif Ali, Tanweer Ali: BOTTOM L-R; Salah El-Hakam, Nabeel Kurshid, Mohammed Imran Akhtar
L-R TOP: Iqlak Yousaf , Asif Ali, Tanweer Ali: BOTTOM L-R; Salah El-Hakam, Nabeel Kurshid, Mohammed Imran Akhtar

SEVEN men have been found guilty of child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences against five girls — and an eighth man has been cleared of all charges.

Six men from Rotherham, and one from Sheffield, were found guilty of 24 offences at Sheffield Crown Court this morning (Monday) following an eight-week trial.

A jury of nine men and three women returned their verdicts following six hours and 16 minutes of deliberation.

Mohammed Imran Akhtar (37), of Godstone Road, Rotherham, was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault, one count of rape, procuring a girl to have unlawful sex with another, aiding and abetting Tanweer Ali to commit rape, and sexual assault.

Nabeel Kurshid (35), of Weetwood Road, Rotherham, was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of indecent assault.

Asif Ali (33), of Clough Road, Rotherham, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and was acquitted of one count of indecent assault.

Iqlak Yousaf (34), of Tooker Road, Rotherham, was found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault.

Salah El-Hakam (39), of Tudor Close, Sheffield, was found guilty of one count of rape.

Tanweer Ali (37), of Godstone Road, Rotherham, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape, and one count of false imprisonment.

Another man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of two counts of rape and aquitted of abducting a child and rape.

Ajmal Rafiq (39), of Warwick Street, Rotherham, was acquitted of all charges which were one count of indecent assault and one count of false imprisonment.

The seven guilty men were remanded into custody and are due to be sentenced on November 16.

The trial is part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

AN NSPCC spokesman said: “This is another example of an evil gang forcing children through the torment of sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

“No child should ever have to endure these horrors and the victims in this latest case have shown incredible bravery in reliving their past ordeals and helping to bring their abusers to justice.

“The NSPCC supports young people who may be at risk of exploitation. Its Protect and Respect service helps them identify healthy relationships and spot the manipulative signs of grooming."

Adults can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected]. Children can call Childline on 0800 1111 or find help at childline.org.uk

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