MAN DENIES RAPING GIRL HE ALLEGEDLY GROOMED ON SNAPCHAT
A man facing accusations of forcibly engaging in sexual activities with a girl he allegedly groomed via Snapchat has claimed in court that she consented to having sex with him.Mehrab Safi, aged 21, is charged as the initial of four individuals involved in the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl last year.
He denies charges of human trafficking and two counts of rape.
During proceedings at Bristol Crown Court, it was presented that the girl was provided with cigarettes and vodka before being allegedly assaulted by Safi and his co-defendants Awal Ahmadzai and Salman Habibkheil, both aged 19, and a 16-year-old boy who is unidentified for legal reasons.
When questioned about his purpose in messaging the girl, Safi responded: "What any single and lonely person in this world desires – I was seeking love." The court was told that Safi exchanged phone numbers with the girl after they met in Bristol city centre in November 2025.
In the subsequent days, they communicated via Snapchat, during which the girl sent him nude photographs.
Safi then arranged for a taxi to bring her to his home in Bristol’s St Werburghs area, where it is alleged she was raped by the four males.
Through an interpreter, Safi told the jury that the girl consented to sex.
When asked about his motives, Safi stated: "I have never experienced the love and care of my parents.
What else would I want but a girl who has her parents’ love?" He also claimed he did not request the nude images and told her she was "crazy" for sending them.
"We really liked each other, and I genuinely liked her," he added.
The court heard that the girl told police she believed she would have sex with Safi later that night, but not immediately.
When asked if he "pushed her to have sex," Safi replied: "Never." He also suggested that if she had said she did not want to have sex at that moment, he would have respected her wishes, implying a possible misunderstanding.
Police found the girl after her mother reported her missing.
Officers arrested the 16-year-old defendant when he answered the door, while the other three attempted to escape but were intercepted by French police and returned to the UK.
Habibkheil, from Lockleaze, denies one count of human trafficking and one of rape.
Ahmadzai, from Redcliffe, denies charges of rape and assault by penetration.
The 16-year-old also denies a rape charge.
The case remains ongoing, with the defendants having previously fled the UK in a lorry but later being caught and extradited back to Britain.
