Seven defendants have today been found guilty of multiple sexual offences relating to the sexual exploitation of two young girls in West Yorkshire between 1995 and 2007.

A Shipley man, who had denied an offence of rape, is among those who have been convicted.

The victims, who were not known to each other, were aged just 13 and 14 when they first separately came to the attention of men who began to prey on them.

The conclusion of the trial at Leeds Crown Court today is part of a series of linked trials, all relating to the same police investigation into the systematic sexual exploitation of young and vulnerable girls in the Huddersfield area. The convicted men will all be sentenced tomorrow.

Those convicted at court were;

  • Usman Ali (34) of Park Drive, Huddersfield, who was found guilty of two offences of rape against one victim
  • Gul Riaz (43) of Balmoral Avenue, Huddersfield, who was found guilty of an offence of rape and two indecent assaults against one victim and a rape offence against the other.
  • Banaras Hussain (39) of Scarborough Road, Shipley, who was found guilty of an offence of rape against one victim.
  • Abdul Majid (36) of Lightcliffe Road, Huddersfield found who was found guilty of two offences of rape against one victim.
  • A 36-year-old Huddersfield man who was found guilty of an offence of rape against one victim.
  • A 37-year-old Huddersfield man who was found guilty of and offence of rape against one victim.
  • A 30-year-old Huddersfield man who was found guilty of an offence of rape against one victim.

DCI Richard McNamara, of Kirklees District Police, said: “The men involved in these vile offences have robbed their victims of their childhood and abused them in truly appalling ways.

“During the trial the court heard that one victim came to the attention of her abusers while she was on a paper round, which speaks volumes about the sheer depravity of this case.

“It is difficult to imagine the impact on the victims of the abuse they suffered but it is clear their courage in reporting what was done to them and in supporting the prosecution has helped take some dangerous men off our streets.

“The guilty verdicts today will hopefully be a milestone for them in seeing those responsible begin to pay for what they have done as will the forthcoming sentences of these individuals.”

These prosecutions are the culmination of over two years’ close collaboration between West Yorkshire Police and the CPS.

The evidence, submitted to the CPS following an intensive and complex police investigation, includes hours of detailed victim evidence against a large number of potential suspects.

Michael Quinn from the CPS said: “This case involved the cynical exploitation of two young girls by a group of older men in the Huddersfield area who were targeted because of their vulnerability.

“These men systematically groomed and exploited the girls for their own sexual gratification.

“The girls were drawn into a dark and sinister world where they were passed around to men who used them sexually without any regard for whether they were consenting.

“Sometimes the girls were plied with alcohol or drugs. They were unable to make truly free or informed choices about anything they did with these men. Their abusers viewed the girls as merely objects, to be used and abused at will.

“At the heart of this case are the two victims. They have suffered immensely as a result of their childhood abuse. We would like to acknowledge their great courage in coming forward to assist the investigation and then to support the prosecution. “I sincerely hope the convictions of their abusers will go some way to helping these young women to rebuild their lives. Our thoughts remain with them.”