By: Sattwik Biswal
A gang ‘raped seven girls after luring them with drink and drugs through Facebook messages”, a court has heard.
Over a period of four years, a total of six men face numerous charges of sexual offences against the girls, some as young as 13.
The men are accused of committing the offences in locations in north Worcestershire, Worcester Crown Court heard.
Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting the case, said: “This case is about seven girls in their early to middle teens who, during the period of March 2013 to March 2017, were sexually abused by these defendants.
“Drinking, taking drugs and being sexually available, they were easily taken advantage of by those who, in reality, viewed them with contempt.”
Heywood said how one of the girls was contacted through her Facebook profile by Numan Mohammed when she was in her early teens.
The prosecutor added that he “would try and play on her emotions, guilt-tripping her, to use her own words”.
Mohammed, who was known by the nicknames of “Nomi” and “Nome” – would become “angry” if she refused his advances, and on one occasion he performed an indecent act during a Skype call.
The alleged victim would later tell police she was “going through a hard patch” in her life, and felt Mohammed “was the only person who had truly cared”.
“I thought he actually liked me,” the girl would later tell police.
Heywood said: “That theme of manipulating emotions and manipulating insecurity is one we’re going to come across time and again in this case.”
Heywood added, on another occasion, the same girl was contacted on Facebook by Arslan Tazarab, and was “guilt-tripped” into allegedly having sex with him on two occasions.
Another girl alleged that after smoking cannabis with Mohammed, he had forced her to perform a sex act on him, and on another occasion, she was assaulted by him in a locked room.
The same girl also claimed she was taken advantage of and assaulted by one Usmaan Asghar, while under the influence of cannabis.
Mohammed, 23, and formerly of Redditch, Worcestershire, is accused of eight offences in total. He is facing two allegations of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three charges of sexual activity with a child, two allegations of inciting a child to sexual activity and a charge of rape.
Also accused are Arslan Tazarab, 25, of The Mayfields, Redditch, who is facing four allegations of sexual activity with a child.
Ehtasham Tazarab, 21, also of The Mayfields, is accused of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, and four counts of attempting sexual communication with a child.
Asghar, 22, of Sillins Avenue, Redditch, is accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child.
Also with them, Usman Ali, 28, of Other Road, Redditch, is also accused of two charges of sexual activity with a child.
Abdul Shakoor Hussain, 22, of Mount Pleasant, Redditch, is alleged to have engaged in a sex act in the presence of a girl, and faces two charges of sexual assault.
However, all the men have denied the charges of any wrongdoing during the trial.
