MEMBERS of a "horrifying" child sex ring, including a 38-year-old Bradford man, abused two schoolgirls, taking advantage of their vulnerability on a "massive scale", a court has heard.

One girl, who was aged 12 or 13 at the time, alleges that throughout the period she was abused, she was passed between 60 men who had sex with her.

Eleven men are on trial accused of committing sexual offences against the youngsters, who had allegedly been conditioned into believing that what they were being subjected to was "normal".

Jurors at the Old Bailey today have heard how both girls came from troubled backgrounds and wanted to feel grown up when they were taken in by the men.

The defendants deny a total of 49 offences said to have been committed between 2006 and 2012.

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They included the multiple rape of a child under 13, child prostitution and administering a substance to "stupefy" a girl in order to engage in sexual activity.

In all, 45 charges relate to one child who cannot be identified for legal reasons and is known as "A", and four against a second girl, referred to as "B".

Opening the case today, prosecutor Oliver Saxby QC, said: "Both girls were from unstable backgrounds, making perfect targets. Their lives were 'off the rails'. They were looking for excitement, for attention. For somewhere to hang out, away from school and home.

"They were wanting to feel grown up. And looked after. And they were easy prey for a group of men wanting casual sexual gratification that was easy, regular and readily available."

The court heard that one of the girls, known only as A, was abused to a greater degree than the other, known only as B. Jurors were told that both girls were befriended and showered with inexpensive gifts such as alcohol, DVDs, food, and occasionally drugs.

Mr Saxby said they were being conditioned and that, at the time, the girls' ideas of what was right had been "completely distorted" and they thought what was happening was "normal" and "natural".

"The scale of it is, you may agree, horrifying. A estimated that she had sex with about 60 men - 6-0, almost all Asian."

The court was told that some of defendants were married and had children, with some working in the market and a few working as cab drivers.

Each of the men sexually allegedly abused A, while two are said to have molested B.

Mohammed Imran, 38, of Springcliffe Street, Manningham, Bradford, is accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of conspiracy to commit sexual activity with a child, two counts of conspiracy to rape and one count of child prostitution.

The other ten men on trial are Vikram Singh, 45, of Cannock Road, Aylesbury; Harmohan Nangpal, 41, of Langdale Drive, Hayes; Asif Hussain, 33, of Hodge Lea, Milton Keynes; Arshad Jani, 33, of Cousins Drive, Aylesbury, Akbari Khan, 36, of Mandeville Road, Aylesbury; Taimoor Khan, 29, of Highbridge Road, Aylesbury; Jerome Joe, 35, of Pightle Crescent, Buckingham; Sajad Ali, 34, of Brockhurst Road, Chesham; Sohail Qamar, 41, of St Anne's Road, Aylesbury, and Faisal Iqbal, 32, of Pixie Road, Aylesbury.

The trial continues.