Five individuals have been convicted of exploiting teenage girls for sex as part of a grooming gang operation in Rhyl, Denbighshire, and surrounding areas.
Mustafa Iqbal, Mohamed Arshad, Ziaullah Badshah, and Sarah Gray were found guilty on Monday at Caernarfon Crown Court. The jury convicted Iqbal, Arshad, and Badshah of conspiracy to traffic the victims, who were aged 14, 15, and 16. Iqbal, Arshad, and Badshah were also found guilty of rape, while Gray was convicted of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.
The men have been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on September 25, while Gray was released on bail. Prosecutor Owen Edwards KC described the men as having used the three girls, identified only as Child A, B, and C, like "sexual commodities" and that they took "full sexual advantage of Girl B in particular."
Child A was reportedly treated as a "sexual plaything" and went to the police after being handcuffed by Iqbal and raped. The court heard that the teenagers were supplied with drugs and sexually abused between April 2022 and March 2024.
Iqbal, 43, approached Child B, 15, and Child C, 14, near a petrol station. They were later joined by Arshad, 36, and Badshah, 25. The jury heard that the girls initially stated they were 17. Badshah admitted kissing the two girls and later having sex with Child B. He was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of conspiracy to traffic, two counts of conspiracy to require a person to perform compulsory labor, and supplying cannabis.
Arshad was convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of conspiracy to traffic, two counts of conspiracy to require a person to perform compulsory labor, and supplying cannabis. One of the rape counts occurred in an alleyway outside his former business, Zayn's Coffee House.
Iqbal was found guilty of raping Child B, sexually assaulting Child C, and raping another teenager, Child A, who was 16 and lived in a care home. He supplied Child A with crack cocaine and cannabis in return for sex. In total, Iqbal was convicted of 21 offenses, including four counts of rape and three of sexual assault, conspiracy to traffic, conspiracy to supply cannabis and cocaine, breaching a trafficking risk order, and possessing a prohibited weapon.
The gang's activities came to light after another associate, Jaswinder Singh, 61, took Child B to London. Singh claimed the girl was looking after his dog and there was no sexual motive, but a concerned adult alerted the police. Singh was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to traffic and one count of supplying cannabis. Gray, 53, was convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Sidney stated that his thoughts were with the young victims, who were exploited by adults taking advantage of their vulnerabilities. He added, "No child should have to experience what these young women endured." He expressed hope that the outcome sends a message that those who exploit vulnerable children will be pursued.