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A gang of men who embarked on a "campaign of rape and other sexual abuse" against vulnerable teenage girls in Huddersfield have been given lengthy jail sentences, it can now be reported.

The vile predators, who went by names including "Beastie", "Dracula" and "Nurse" sexually abused 15 girls, the youngest of who was 11 or 12.

The 20 men, ranging in age from 27 to 54 and all British Asians, were today jailed for a combined 221 years.

The series of three trials has been subject to a blanket reporting ban which was partially lifted on Friday.

It was towards the end of the second of these trials, in May, that English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was arrested as he reported about the case live on Facebook from outside the court.

Robinson was jailed for contempt of court but his conviction was later quashed and the case is due to be heard again at the Old Bailey next week.

(Image: STEVE ALLEN)

A court heard at least two of the young girls became pregnant, and one had attempted to take her own life.

The men sometimes used plastic bags as condoms, their trials heard, and took the vulnerable girls to isolated places where they carried out the sickening abuse.

Ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal was jailed for life and told he must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison by a judge who told him: "Your treatment of these girls was inhuman."

The men were convicted as part of Operation Tendersea during three trials at Leeds Crown Court throughout 2018.

Fifteen women told juries what happened to them between 2004 and 2011 when they were aged between 11 and 17.

(Image: PA)

Married Dhaliwal, 35, groomed at least 11 girls, the court heard.

He would pass the girls about to other men – sometimes to drug dealers in exchange for the drugs he was spiking them with.

Dhaliwal, who has children of his own, was convicted of 54 separate counts, including 22 rapes, involving 11 girls.

The trials could not initially be reported on because of a blanket reporting ban imposed a year ago.

However the ban was lifted by the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl QC, on Friday.

The girls were lured in with gifts as basic as food, cigarettes or lifts and then plied with drink and drugs.

They were sexually abused in isolated areas such as cars, car parks, houses, a snooker centre, a takeaway and in a park.

One victim had a baby with one of the men, which was proved by DNA tests.

Another victim fell pregnant without even knowing the baby's father's name and her mum made her have an abortion, and later gave birth to a child who she also believes to be one of the men's.

Several were forced to commit crimes and served custodial sentences for it and at least one tried to kill herself.

Such was the men's hold over the girls, one woman said her child cracked her head jumping from a first-floor balcony at their home in order to get out after they ordered her to meet them.

The girl later told police: "Every time I went out something bad happened.

"I risked my life every time. I was a mess."

(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told how the girls were "made to feel special" by the group's flattery, and fell into their trap as a result of their "youth and naivety".

One of these victims said she came into contact with the group after being bullied at school and said she did "sort of like the attention" they were giving her.

But the same girl said that her relationship with some of the defendants became "one of those things that you couldn't get out of".

The abuse of the vulnerable, isolated and underage girls by the gang - the youngest of whom was 11 or 12 - was described by a judge as 'top of the scale'.

The men referred to each other using a series of nicknames which were also used as their monikers during the trials.

(Image: STEVE ALLEN)

(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

Prosecutor Richard Wright QC said that the men saw the girls as 'commodities' 'to be used and abused at will'.

Opening the first trial in January, he said: "Some [of the girls] felt that they were in genuine, loving relationships such was the extent to which they had been groomed by these men.

"Others were plied with drink and drugs to the point of being utterly unable to resist the sexual advances that were made against them."

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told Dhaliwal earlier this year: "You treated them as commodities to be passed around for your own sexual gratification and the gratification of others.

(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

Statement from the Crown Prosecution Service on the Huddersfield grooming gang Michael Quinn said: "This case involved the cynical exploitation of a number of young girls by a group of older men in the Huddersfield area. These men deliberately targeted their vulnerable victims, grooming and exploiting them for their own sexual gratification. The men sometimes used threats and violence and plied their victims with alcohol or drugs. Throughout the years of offending, these men cared only for themselves and viewed these girls as objects to be used and abused at will. "This series of prosecutions has been the result of two years’ close collaboration between West Yorkshire Police and the CPS. The evidence, reviewed by the CPS following an intensive and complex police investigation, included hours of detailed victim evidence against a large number of potential suspects, relating to numerous allegations over six years. "At the heart of this case are the victims, who have all suffered trauma as a result of their childhood abuse at the hands of these men. Each of them has shown immense courage in coming forward to assist the investigation and support the prosecution case. "I sincerely hope the convictions of their abusers today will go some way to helping these young women to rebuild their lives. Our thoughts remain with them.”

"The extent and gravity of your offending far exceeds anything which I have previously encountered.

"It was a very significant campaign of rape and other sexual abuse.

"Children's lives have been ruined and families profoundly affected by seeing their children, over months and years, out of control, having been groomed by you and other members of your gang."

(Image: PA Wire)

Full statement from West Yorkshire Police Detective Chief Inspector Ian Mottershaw, from West Yorkshire Police, who led the investigation, said: “First and most importantly, I would like to pay tribute to each and every victim who came forward firstly to report these heinous crimes, but to go through the gruelling court process which has taken nearly a year to conclude and to bravely give their accounts to us and the court. I cannot praise them enough for their courage and tenacity in helping us secure justice for them against these defendants. “The investigation into this case has been extremely complex and the investigative team have worked tirelessly for the past five years to ensure that no stone has been left unturned. We welcome the convictions and sentences which have been passed down throughout the year to these depraved individuals, who subjected vulnerable young children to unthinkable sexual and physical abuse. “Child sexual exploitation is abhorrent and is one of the most important challenges facing the police. Safeguarding the vulnerable and protecting victims is West Yorkshire Police’s top priority. It is totally unacceptable and it is the responsibility of all agencies, communities and individuals to identify those responsible and help bring them to justice. “However unwilling victims may be initially to engage with police or other agencies, or to give evidence against the perpetrators, they will always be supported, listened to and protected from further harm. “West Yorkshire Police, the West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and partner agencies are committed to doing everything they possibly can to ensure that children are safe, cared for and protected from harm. We are committed to working closely with these partners and will take positive action against those who abuse or neglect children. “I hope the outcomes of these trials will enable the victims to start the process of putting this trauma behind them and reassure any other potential victims that we will treat them with the utmost respect and sensitivity and take positive action against perpetrators.”

According to the judge, one of the girls said: "They got your trust and then stuff would start happening to you and it's just one of those things that you couldn't get out of, it just happened.

"My mum and dad's houses got trashed, their cars got trashed.

"I was constantly getting raped, beaten up."

One of the members of the gang went on the run before he was sentenced.

Sajid Hussain, 33, known as "Fish", was convicted by the jury of one count of rape and one count of oral rape against a victim when she was just 14 years old.

He went on the run from the trial and was then sentenced to 17 years in his absence.

Barry Sheerman, Labour Cooperative MP for Huddersfield, has said the authorities didn't act quickly enough to investigate grooming in the town.

(Image: TV Grab)

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Sheerman said: "No one, let's be honest about this, local authority leadership, police, many of the people that should have been taking this more seriously earlier did not.

"What happened in Rotherham galvanised the authorities."

The full list of 20 defendants, 121 convictions and their sentences:

Trial one results:

Amere Singh Dhaliwal , aged 35, Holly Road, Thornton Lodge, was jailed for life – minimum 18 years; he received full life terms for all of the 22 rape offences, will be on licence for life. He was charged with 21 counts of rape, assault by penetration, four counts of sexual assault, five counts of inciting sexual activity with a child, 13 counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of making indecent images, one count of inciting child prostitution, two offences of administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual act and a racially aggravated assault;

Irfan Ahmed , aged, 34, of Yews Hill Road, Lockwood, he was jailed for 8 years for sexual activity with a child and two counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation;

Zahid Hassan , aged 29, of Bland Street, Lockwood, was jailed for 18 years for eight counts of rape, sexual assault, trafficking for sexual exploitation, two counts of child abduction, two offences of supply of Class A drugs and racially aggravated assault;

Mohammed Kammer , aged 34, of West View, Paddock, was jailed for 16 years for two counts of rape;

Raj Singh Barsran , aged 34, of Caldercliffe Road, Berry Brow, was jailed for 17 years for one offence of rape and two counts of sexual assault;

Mohammed Rizwan Aslam , aged 30, of Huddersfield Road, Dewsbury, was jailed for 15 years for two counts of rape;

Abdul Rehman , aged 31, of Darnley Drive, Sheffield, was jailed for 16 years for rape, trafficking for sexual exploitation, assault causing actual bodily harm and supply of Class B drugs

Nahman Mohammed, aged 32, of West View, Paddock, was jailed for 15 years for two counts of rape and trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Trial two results:

Mansoor Akhtar , aged 27, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor, was jailed for 8 years for rape of a child under 16 and trafficking offences;

, aged 27, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor, was jailed for 8 years for rape of a child under 16 and trafficking offences; Mohammed Irfraz , aged 30, of North Road, Huddersfield, was jailed for 6 years for child abduction and trafficking offences;

, aged 30, of North Road, Huddersfield, was jailed for 6 years for child abduction and trafficking offences; Nasarat Hussain , aged 30, of Upper Mount Street, Lockwood, was jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of three counts of rape and sexual assault offences;

, aged 30, of Upper Mount Street, Lockwood, was jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of three counts of rape and sexual assault offences; Sajid Hussain , aged 33, of Grasmere Road, Edgerton, was jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape;

, aged 33, of Grasmere Road, Edgerton, was jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape; Faisal Nadeem , aged 32, of Carr Green Lane, Dalton, was jailed for 12 years for rape and supply of Class A drugs;

, aged 32, of Carr Green Lane, Dalton, was jailed for 12 years for rape and supply of Class A drugs; Mohammed Azeem , aged 33, of Wrose Road, Bradford, was jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of five counts of rape;

, aged 33, of Wrose Road, Bradford, was jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of five counts of rape; Wiqas Mahmud , aged 38, of Banks Crescent, Golcar, was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty by a jury of three rape offences;

, aged 38, of Banks Crescent, Golcar, was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty by a jury of three rape offences; Manzoor Hassan, aged 38, of Bland Street, Lockwood, was jailed for 5 years for supply of Class A drugs, administering a noxious substance and inciting a person under 18 into prostitution.

Trial three results:

Niaz Ahmed , 54, of Woodthorpe Terrace, Huddersfield, was found guilty inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault;

, 54, of Woodthorpe Terrace, Huddersfield, was found guilty inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault; Mohammed Imran Ibrar , 34, of Manchester Road, Huddersfield, was found guilty of trafficking for sexual exploitation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

, 34, of Manchester Road, Huddersfield, was found guilty of trafficking for sexual exploitation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Asif Bashir , 33, of Thornton Lodge Road, Huddersfield, was found guilty of rape and attempted rape.

Mohammed Akram, 33, of Springdale Street, Thornton Lodge, was found guilty of two counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation and two counts of rape

The four defendants in trial three will be sentenced on 1 November at Leeds Crown Court and have been remanded in custody since their convictions.

The pattern of large-scale exploitation of mainly white girls by groups of men of mainly Pakistani heritage uncovered by West Yorkshire Police in Huddersfield mirrors what has happened in a number of other towns including Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford.

The restriction which banned reporting of the Huddersfield trials was lifted by the Recorder of Leeds Judge Guy Kearl QC following representations by a number of media organisations, including the Press Association.