An alleged grooming gang accused of abusing underage girls in a children’s care home is on trial in Bradford, England.

Prosecutor Kama Melly QC accused the men of having “exploited and manipulated” the two alleged victims in 2008, when they were aged 14, “in a variety of ways, taking advantage of their youth and the situation [the girls] found themselves in, both just entering care and in really difficult circumstances,” the BBC reports.

“Some of the defendants were actually forceful, threatening and violent, others used alcohol and drugs, others created a manipulated relationship in order to facilitate their sexual exploitation,” she added.

“But all defendants, say the Crown, engaged in cynical and manipulative behaviour in order to achieve their objective of sexual activity with [the girls].”

The defendants, who deny the charges, have been named as follows:

Basharat Khaliq, 38, of Bradford, charged with five counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration Saeed Akhtar, 55, of Bradford, charged with two counts of inciting child prostitution and one count of rape Yasar Majid, 37, of Milton Keynes, charged with one count of rape Naveed Akhtar, 43, of Bradford, charged with three counts of rape Parvaze Ahmed 36, of Bradford, charged with three counts of rape Izar Hussain, 32, of Bradford, charged with three counts of rape and one count of attempted rape Zeeshan Ali, 32, of Bradford, charged with one count of sexual assault Kieran Harris, 28, of Dewsbury, charged with two counts of rape Faheem Iqbal, 27, of no fixed abode, charged with aiding and abetting rape Mohammed Usman, 31, of Bradford, charged with two counts of rape

The trial continues.

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery