Child sex gang will not face re-trial – sentencing date set

From the Oxford Mail

THERE will be no re-trial after jurors failed to reach verdicts on all counts following a major trial into child sexual exploitation across Oxford.

Prosecutors said today that the final four counts – out of 39 – will ‘lie on the file’ after three men were convicted earlier this week of preying on two vulnerable teenage girls and sexually abusing them across Oxford.

Naim Khan, 41, of Herschel Crescent, Mohammed Nazir, 44, of Wood Farm Road and Raheem Ahmed, 42, of Startwort Path were all convicted on Tuesday following a trial which began in October.

After the decision was made Judge Peter Ross lifted a number of previously imposed reporting restrictions.

This means that details of the case can now be reported via social media for the first time and comments on web reports are now permitted.

It can also only now be revealed that the case – which is part of Thames Valley Police’s Operation Silk – follows an earlier trial alleging city-wide child sexual exploitation.  In June 2018 a ‘predatory and cynical’ gang was sentenced for grooming and sexually abusing young girls across Oxford. They were jailed for a total of nearly 70 years.

Yesterday, as the follow-on trial from that operation came to an end, a sentencing date was provisionally set for February 13 That hearing will be held at the same court and all three were remanded in custody in the meantime.