Four men have been found guilty following a prolonged trial over the sexual abuse and exploitation of a vulnerable runaway teenager in Birmingham.
The victim’s ordeal began in July 2019 when she was picked up on Alum Rock Road by Arqash Zaffar. Prosecutors told Birmingham Crown Court that the teenager, who was known to social services, was subjected to repeated abuse over several days at multiple locations across the country.
The court heard that Mohammed Nadim was present when the girl was first picked up and later assaulted her in the vehicle. Shahban Arif was found to have arranged accommodation for the teenager in Walsall, facilitating her continued exploitation. Zaffar later drove her to Manchester, where Shiraz Nassar assaulted her at his flat.
Following a five-week trial, a jury convicted all four defendants. Zaffar, 41, of Walsall, was found guilty of multiple rape offences, sexual exploitation charges, and arranging travel for the purpose of exploitation. Nadim, 44, was convicted of sexual assault, while Arif, 42, was found guilty of an exploitation-related offence. Nassar, 40, was convicted of rape.
The prosecution said the teenager disclosed the abuse to her social worker after returning home in August 2019, describing her distress at the time. She identified the defendants using nicknames she had been given and later provided evidence that helped police identify them.
All four men admitted spending time with the teenager but denied committing any offences. The jury rejected their accounts after hearing evidence, including hotel records showing accommodation had been booked under false details.
Sentencing has been adjourned and is due to take place on March 19 next year.
