One of the six men on trial at Bradford Crown Court accused of sexual offences, including the grooming and rape of a young teenage girl, has been acquitted of all the charges against him.
Shahid Iqbal, 25, of Nightingale Street, Street, Keighley, was found not guilty by the jury, on the direction of Judge Peter Benson, of rape and sexual activity with a child.
Five defendants remain on trial at Bradford Crown Court. They are Keighley men Mohammed Zackriya, 21, of Springfield Road; Abid Ali, 27, of Cark Road; Raj Mohammed Shabir, 32, referred to in court as Shabir Junior, of Neville Street and Mohammed Shabir, 36, referred to as Shabir Senior, of Hawk Street. In the dock with them is Skipton man Mohammed Taj, 37, of Aireview Terrace.
Zackriya told the jury yesterday he had just one chance meeting with the girl in a taxi office.
She managed to obtain his mobile phone number and began pestering him with unwanted calls.
When she realised he was not interested, she made up false allegations against him.
All five men are accused of sexual offences against the girl between April 2005 and April 2007.
The jury has heard that many of the alleged incidents took place at Caesars Pizza takeaway shop in Newmarket Street, Skipton.
Zackriya and Ali, who are cousins, both worked for Skipton and Craven Taxis, which has an office in Sackville Street, Skipton, where some of the offences are said by the prosecution to have been committed.
Some of the offences are also alleged to have happened at a house in Parkwood Street, Keighley.
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