Dewsbury, Yorkshire: Rape and sexual grooming gang jailed for total of 50 years

From the Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A judge jailed four men for a total of 50 years for offences involving the sexual exploitation of one or more schoolgirls in Dewsbury.

All four were convicted of trafficking a 13-year-old girl with three of them found guilty of raping her. Two of the defendants were sentenced for further offences involving another 15-year-old girl.

Ismail Haji, 39, a taxi driver, of Rotary Close, Batley, was found guilty by the jury of raping and trafficking the 13-year-old, meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with the younger girl, meeting the 15-year-old girl following sexual grooming, two charges of raping her and also trafficking her. He was jailed for a total of 19 years.

Mohammed Chothia, 39, of Hirstlands Road, Batley, was found guilty by the jury of meeting both girls following sexual grooming, trafficking both girls and taking an indecent video of the youngest. He was jailed for a total of 13 years.

Ibrahim Kola, 36, a factory worker, of School Crescent, Dewsbury Moor, nicknamed Ibby, was convicted of raping and trafficking the 13-year-old girl and was jailed for 10 years.

Imran Haji, 36, a shop assistant of The Parade, Manor Way, Staincliffe, was also found guilty of raping and trafficking the 13-year-old girl and was jailed for eight years.

Ibrahim Kola, Ismail Haji, Mohammed Chothia, Imran Haji

The jury heard during the trial that the two girls first met Mohammed Chothia, known as Saj, and Ismail Haji, known as Ishy, at a park in Wakefield early in September 2014. Haji, a taxi driver, drove them to Xscape in Castleford where they went bowling and then to the cinema, “treats” which the girls enjoyed, David Gordon prosecuting told the court. . . Mr Gordon said the men lied about their ages, used flattery and plied the girls with alcohol.

….the 15-year-old said she was raped by Ismail Haji after he said he wanted to talk to her in the bedroom because it would be quieter but once there he pushed her on to the bed and raped her. She had been a virgin until then.

Jailing the quartet Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said he was satisfied Chothia had subsequently “loaned” the same schoolgirl out for sexual purposes a few weeks later when she was then raped by the other two men Ibrahim Kola and Haji’s brother Imran. He had also asked the 13-year-old to introduce him to her friends no doubt with the hope of “bringing in yet another girl into this ring to be abused.”

He said harsh sentences had been passed as a deterrent.