CONVICTED CHILD SEXUAL ABUSER INVOLVED IN HALIFAX GROOMING GANG
A group of fifteen men responsible for systematically grooming and sexually abusing teenage girls in Halifax has been sentenced to prison.Their convictions for child sex offences, including rape, grooming, and trafficking, were delivered following three separate trials at Leeds Crown Court.
Prosecutors highlighted the bravery of the two victims who testified against the offenders, acknowledging their courage in recounting their experiences.
The most severe sentence was 25 years, awarded in what was characterized as a complex, extensive investigation.
This gang abused a young girl across Halifax and Bradford from 2009 to 2011, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Another girl also came forward with claims of sexual assault by one of the men.
The investigation was described as the largest of its kind.
Peter Mann, from the Crown Prosecution Service’s complex casework unit, stated: "These individuals are accountable for a variety of crimes related to child sexual exploitation.
One girl was assaulted in a vehicle.
The second girl was groomed and exploited as part of a systematic pattern by the older men she associated with, some working together to groom her while giving her alcohol and drugs.
Others exploited her independently." West Yorkshire Police reported that the initial report came in 2012 from a girl aged 15 living in Halifax.
Another girl later testified against a different member of the gang.
The primary victim was just 13 when abused.
She reportedly came from a troubled family environment and had become addicted to drugs and alcohol during the period of abuse, which ceased in 2011.
She is now 21, living away from Calderdale and raising a child.
The police described this case as the largest and most prolonged investigation into child exploitation in Calderdale, involving nearly 60 hours of interviews, over 1,800 statements, nearly 3,000 exhibits, and more than 20,000 disclosure items.
In total, 25 men faced charges; four were acquitted by a jury, and three others were acquitted following judge's orders.
Mr.
Mann emphasized the complexity of the operation and praised the victims’ bravery in reporting the crimes and providing evidence.
The defendants included individuals such as Hedar Ali, who received a 25-year sentence for multiple counts of rape and trafficking; Haider Ali, sentenced to 20 years; and Khalid Zaman, jailed for 17.5 years for rape and drug offences.
Others received sentences ranging from six to fifteen years.
Additionally, some defendants pleaded guilty, while others were convicted after trial.
A sentencing for a member unidentified for legal reasons has been postponed to next week.
