NOTTINGHAM SEX OFFENDERS WAQAS AKHTAR, MOHAMMED SAEED AHMED, AND HAMZA SHAZAD CONVICTED OF ABUSING VULNERABLE GIRLS
In a significant case that has shocked the Nottingham community, three men have been found guilty of sexually abusing vulnerable schoolgirls in the city center.The offences, which spanned from February 2017 to January 2019, involved three girls aged between 13 and 15 who were in the care system at the time.
The investigation into these disturbing crimes was initiated by Nottinghamshire Police in September 2018, following concerns raised by agencies responsible for supporting two of the victims.
Over the course of a year, law enforcement officials meticulously gathered evidence, culminating in coordinated raids carried out simultaneously in March 2019.
During these operations, officers uncovered a substantial amount of digital evidence, which proved crucial in building the case against the accused.
The evidence included explicit grooming communications and abuse material stored on their phones, targeting two of the girls, as well as a third girl who had not been previously linked to the investigation.
The police discovered indecent images of children on various devices, with some images having been shared with other individuals.
This digital trove of evidence painted a disturbing picture of exploitation and grooming, highlighting the extent of the offenders' misconduct.
Waqas Akhtar, aged 26 and residing on Glentworth Road in Radford, Nottingham, was convicted at Nottingham Crown Court on a Tuesday of multiple serious charges.
These included engaging in sexual activity with a girl under 16, penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 16, two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, and meeting a girl under 16 following grooming.
His actions have brought him a significant legal sentence pending later this month.
Hamza Shazad, aged 27 from Ewart Road in Forest Fields, had previously admitted to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, and distributing indecent photographs of a child.
However, he denied engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in penetrative sexual activity, and meeting a girl under 16 following grooming.
A jury deliberated and found him not guilty of these latter charges on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Saeed Ahmed, aged 22 from Vale Crescent South, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity, and sexual activity with a girl under 16.
His guilty plea reflects his acknowledgment of the charges against him.
Another individual, Ansar Ahmed, aged 30 from Radford Road, Nottingham, was cleared of all charges, and Waqar Akhtar, aged 27 from Glentworth Road, Radford, Nottingham, was dismissed from the trial due to insufficient evidence.
All three remaining defendants—Akhtar, Ahmed, and Shazad—are scheduled to be sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on March 29, with the community awaiting the outcome of these proceedings.
