Amjal Rafiq, 38 (blue coat) and Aftab Hussain, 38 (far right) leave Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

A group of 12 Asian men from the Rotherham area have appeared in court to face 45 sexual abuse offences against eight girls.

The men, aged between 33 and 38, covered their faces as they entered Sheffield Magistrates’ Court today.

They face a number of charges including rape, aiding or abetting rape, indecent assault, sexual touching, supply of controlled drugs and false imprisonment.

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Nabeel Kurshid, 34, arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

Tanweer Ali, 36, arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

Salah Ahmed El-Hakam, 38, (right) arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

Salah Ahmed El-Hakam, 38, arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

All of the allegations relate to the alleged sexual abuse, from 1998 to 2003, of eight girls aged under 16.

The men were detained as part of Operation Stovewood – a police investigation into sexual abuse launched after the Rotherham grooming scandal.



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Nabeel Kurshid, 34, leaves Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

Aftab Hussain, 38, arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

Sharaz Hussain, 33, arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

Iqlak Yousaf, 33, arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

Abid Saddiq, 36, arrives at Sheffield Magistrates Court (Picture: SWNS)

The defendants include Amjal Rafiq, 38, Nabeel Kurshid, 34, Iqlak Yousaf, 33, Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 36, Tanweer Ali, 36, Aftab Hussain, 38, Abid Saddiq, 36, Sharaz Hussain, 33, Salah Ahmed El-Hakam, 38, Mohammed Ashan, 33, Masaeud Malik, 33, and Waseem Khaliq, 33.

Operation Stovewood has led to 21 people being charged with a total of 94 offences relating to child sexual abuse.

All the defendants are due to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on December 1.

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