Protesters gathered at a Huddersfield court as 18 people charged over alleged sexual exploitation of children appeared in front of a judge.

Several dozen police kept watch as a small number of far-right English Defence League protesters - as well as anti-EDL protesters - gathered at Kirklees Magistrates' Court.

Some of the men accused face multiple charges of rape.

The alleged victims are five women who were aged 12 to 18 when the offences are said to have taken place between 2005 and 2012.

Image: Police kept watch outside the West Yorkshire court

The 17 men and one woman were bailed and ordered by District Judge Michael Fanning to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 1 November.


Twelve more people will appear before Kirklees magistrates on Thursday.

Those who appeared were all from Huddersfield, unless stated otherwise, and the charges are as follows:

:: Iftikar Ali, 37, of Holly Road, charged with three rapes and one attempted rape

:: Umar Zaman, 30, of Bishop's Court, charged with two rapes

:: Basharat Hussain, 31, charged with two rapes

:: Banaras Hussain, 37, of Scarborough Road, Shipley, charged with one rape

:: Mubasher Hussain, 35, of Lockwood Road, charged with one rape and one sexual assault

:: Abdul Majid, 34, of Lightcliffe Road, charged with two rapes

:: Gul Riaz, 42, of Balmoral Avenue, charged with one rape

:: Fehreen Rafiq, 38, of Blackmoorfoot Road, charged with two counts of facilitating the commission of a child sex offence

:: Mohammed Sajjad, 31, of Moorbottom Road, charged with four counts of rape and one count of facilitating the commission of a child sex offence

Image: Mohammed Sajjad's charges include four counts of rape - he was among 18 people in court

:: Usman Ali, 32, of Park Drive, charged with two counts of rape

:: Mohammed Suhail Arif, 30, of New Hey Road, charged with one rape

:: Amin Ali Choli, 36, of Seaton Street, charged with two rapes

:: Mohammed Dogar, 35, of Central Avenue, charged with facilitating the commission of a child sex offence

:: Banaris Hussain, 35, of William Street, charged with one rape

:: Shaqeel Hussain, 35, of Spen Valley Road, Dewsbury, charged with one rape and two counts of trafficking

:: Mohammed Waqas Anwar, 28, of Chapel Terrace, charged with five rapes

:: Saqib Raheel, 32, of Upper High Street, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, charged with two rapes

:: A man who cannot be named for legal reasons is charged with one rape and one count of sexual touching of a female