Twenty nine people – mostly from Huddersfield – facing a total of more than 170 charges relating to the sexual exploitation of 18 children will go on trial next year in three separate groups, a judge has ruled.
Twenty-six men and two women appeared before a judge at Leeds Crown Court today charged with offences including rape, trafficking, sexual activity with a child, child neglect, child abduction, supplying drugs and making of indecent images of children. The 29th defendant, who is in custody, did not appear for the hearing on Thursday.
The defendants were greeted by protesters outside the court building where a number of police were on duty.
The allegations are non-recent sexual offences, dating back to between 2004 and 2011, and relate to 18 women, who were children at the time. The youngest child involved was 11.
The defendants, who are mainly from Huddersfield but also include men from Dewsbury, Sheffield, Bradford, Manchester, and Dudley, appeared in groups before the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC.
Judge Collier ruled that the cases will be heard in three separate trials starting in January.
The first trial, expected to last 10 weeks, has a provisional start date of January 8, 2018. The second trial, expected to last six weeks, is planned to start on April 16, 2018. The third trial, which is expected to last four weeks, has the provisional start date of September 3, 2018.
The next hearings in each of the cases are: October 27, 2017; March 2, 2018 and June 1, 2018.
Formal pleas have not yet been entered and all the defendants were given bail except two – Mansoor Akhtar and Manzoor Hassan – who were remanded in custody. Akhtar did not appear in court.
The defendants in the first trial are:
Amere Singh Dhaliwal, 34, of Holly Road, Thornton Lodge is charged with 54 offences. He is charged with 21 counts of rape, 14 counts of trafficking, as well as inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, sexual touching, possession of indecent images of a child, racially aggravated assault and inciting a child into prostitution.
Irfan Ahmed, 32, of Yews Hill Road, Lockwood. He is charged with six counts of trafficking, sexual assault, making indecent images of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Zahid Hassan, 28, of Bland Street, Lockwood. He is charged with eight counts of rape, five counts of trafficking, racially aggravated assault, supplying drugs, inciting a child into sexual activity, child abduction and attempted rape.
Mohammed Kammer, 32, of West View, Paddock. He is charged with two counts of rape.
Mohammed Aslam, 29, of Huddersfield Road, Dewsbury. He is charged with two counts of rape.
Abdul Rehman, 29, of Darnley Drive, Sheffield. He is charged with rape, trafficking, supplying drugs, supply of a controlled substance with intent to engage in sexual activity and sexual touching.
Raj Singh Barsran, 33, of Caldercliffe Road, Berry Brow. He is charged with sexual touching and rape.
Nahman Mohammad, 31, of West View, Paddock. He is charged with trafficking, sexual assault, and two counts of rape.
Zubair Ahmed, 30, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor. He is charged with rape and possession of extreme pornography.
Hamzha Ali Saleem, 37, of Seymour Grove, Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. He is charged with three counts of trafficking.
The defendants in the second trial are:
Mansoor Akhtar, 25, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor. He is charged with rape, attempted rape and two counts of trafficking.
Mohammed Akram, 31, of Springdale Street, Thornton Lodge. He is charged with seven counts of rape, three counts of trafficking, child abduction, supplying drugs, sexual assault and making threats to kill.
Wiqas Mahmud, 36, of Banks Crescent, Golcar. He is charged with three counts of rape.
Nasarat Hussain, 28, of Upper Mount Street, Lockwood. He is charged with three counts of rape, attempted rape and inciting a female to engage in sexual activity.
Sajid Hussain, 32, of Grasmere Road, Edgerton. He is charged with three counts of rape, facilitating the commission of sexual activity on a child and inciting a child into sexual activity.
Mohammad Ifraz, 28, of North Road, Huddersfield. He is charged with trafficking a female within the UK with a view to her sexual exploitation, rape, false imprisonment, child abduction, taking indecent images of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Faisal Nadeem, 30, of Carr Green Lane, Dalton. He is charged with supplying drugs, rape and possession of extreme pornography.
Mohammad Azeem, 31, of Wrose Road, Bradford. He is charged with three counts of rape.
Zulqarnain Dogar, 29, of Central Avenue, Fartown. He is charged with sexual touching and trafficking.
Manzoor Hassan, 37, of Bland Street, Lockwood. He is charged with supply of a noxious substance with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve a female, supply of Class A drugs and inciting a child into prostitution.
The defendants in the third trial are:
Niaz Ahmed, 53, of Ned Lane, Slaithwaite. He is charged with inciting a child into sexual activity and sexual assault.
Mohammed Imran Ibrar, 32, of Manchester Road, Huddersfield. He is charged with trafficking, facilitating the commission of sexual activity on a child, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, supplying drugs.
Asif Bashir, 32, of Thornton Lodge Road, Thornton Lodge. He is charged with four counts of rape and attempted rape.
Everton La Bastide, 50, of Manchester Road, Huddersfield. He is charged with two counts of sexual assault.
Saqib Raheel, 30, of Stourbridge Road, Dudley. He is charged with trafficking and child abduction.
Usman Khalid, 29, of Brook Street, Huddersfield. He is charged with sexual assault, child abduction and sexual touching.
Aleem Javaid, 27, of Everard Street, Crosland Moor. He is charged with rape and supplying drugs.
Naveeda Habib, 38, of Prince Wood Lane, Birkby. She is charged with one count of child neglect.
Shahnaz Akhtar-Malik, 55, of St Annes Avenue, Ainley Top. She is charged with one count of child neglect.
