July 2017 Cousins locked up for 30 years for sexually exploiting and raping young girl Two cousins have been jailed for a total of 30 years for rape after the sexual exploitation of a young girl. Jarnal Singh, 41, has been locked up for 20 years for five charges of rape, and one charge of indecent assault. His cousin, 59-year-old Hardev Singh, has been jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of one rape charge. Both men had denied all charges but were convicted at a Teesside Crown Court trial in February. The offences happened more than 20 years ago, and included Jarnal Singh raping an underage girl in the “avenue of trees” in Acklam, and also at houses in Middlesbrough and Stockton. Jarnal Singh, of Stoneleigh Avenue, Acklam, admitted to once having sex with the girl in the toilets of Middlesbrough nightclub, Madison, more than 20 years ago, but denied rape. But the former youth worker was also found guilty of twice having non-consensual sex with the girl in a van. He took the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to houses where other men had sex with her. Hardev Singh, a former market trader of Mansfield Avenue, Thornaby, was convicted of raping the same girl in a Middlesbrough house after she was taken and left there by his younger cousin. The New Delhi-born married dad-of-four spoke through a translator at an earlier hearing. He said he did not know why he had been charged with the offences. He was cleared on the judge’s direction of another rape charge as he was not at the scene of that offence at a Stockton home. Detective Sergeant Dan Heron of Cleveland Police today welcomed the sentences. He said: “The victim in this case was a young child at the time of her abuse and we must never forget that. “She was singled out due to her obvious vulnerabilities and subjected to the most serious of crimes. February 2017 Two men found guilty of raping an underage girl told to prepare for ‘significant’ sentences Two cousins are set to face a “significant” jail term after being found guilty of the multiple rape of a schoolgirl Jarnal Singh, 41, was convicted of five charges of rape, and one charge of indecent assault, at a trial at Teesside Crown Court. His cousin, 59-year-old Hardev Singh, was found guilty of one rape charge. The jury took less than two hours to reach a verdict. Both men denied all charges The offences included Jarnal Singh raping the schoolgirl in the “avenue of trees” in Acklam, and also in houses in Middlesbrough and Stockton. Jarnal Singh, of Stoneleigh Avenue, Acklam, admitted to once having sex with the girl in the toilets of Middlesbrough nightclub, Madison, but denied rape. But the former youth worker was also found guilty of twice having non-consensual sex with the girl in a van. He took the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to houses where other men had sex with her. Hardev Singh, a former market trader of Mansfield Avenue, Thornaby, was convicted of raping the same girl in a Middlesbrough house after she was taken and left there by his younger cousin. The New Delhi-born married dad-of-four spoke through a translator at an earlier hearing. He said he did not know why he had been charged with the offences. He was cleared on the judge’s direction of another rape charge as he was not at the scene of that offence at a Stockton home. The mens’ family wept in the public gallery as the verdicts were read out. Judge Tony Briggs said: “In a case of this nature, bearing in mind the verdict of the jury, a significant sentence is obviously inevitable and the granting of bail will not be made.” Both men remain in custody and will face sentence at a later hearing.