9 men jailed in UK for luring girls into sex
LONDON: A group of nine men of Pakistani and Afghan origin were sentenced to jail Thursday for grooming white British schoolgirls for sex, using drink and drugs.
The men, aged between 22 and 59, were convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16, and other offences.
Passing sentence at Liverpool Crown Court in northwest England, judge Gerald Clifton gave them prison terms ranging from four to 19 years.
Some of the girls were as young as 13 at the time.
"All of you treated them as though they were worthless and beyond any respect," Clifton told the defendants.
"One of the factors leading to that was the fact that they were not part of your community or religion.
"Some of you, when arrested, said it was triggered by race.
"That is nonsense. What triggered this prosecution was your lust and greed."
The abuse took place in the market town of Rochdale outside Manchester in northwest England.
Eight members of the gang were of Pakistani ethnic origin. They included taxi drivers, a takeaway worker and a religious studies teacher. Some were married fathers.
The other gang member was a 22-year-old Afghan illegal immigrant who will be deported once he has served his four-year sentence for conspiracy and trafficking.
Clifton said the group had been "grooming and sexually exploiting" several young girls.
"In some cases those girls were raped callously, viciously and violently," the judge said.
- AFP/ck
LONDON: A group of nine men of Pakistani and Afghan origin were sentenced to jail Thursday for grooming white British schoolgirls for sex, using drink and drugs.
The men, aged between 22 and 59, were convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16, and other offences.
Passing sentence at Liverpool Crown Court in northwest England, judge Gerald Clifton gave them prison terms ranging from four to 19 years.
Some of the girls were as young as 13 at the time.
"All of you treated them as though they were worthless and beyond any respect," Clifton told the defendants.
"One of the factors leading to that was the fact that they were not part of your community or religion.
"Some of you, when arrested, said it was triggered by race.
"That is nonsense. What triggered this prosecution was your lust and greed."
The abuse took place in the market town of Rochdale outside Manchester in northwest England.
Eight members of the gang were of Pakistani ethnic origin. They included taxi drivers, a takeaway worker and a religious studies teacher. Some were married fathers.
The other gang member was a 22-year-old Afghan illegal immigrant who will be deported once he has served his four-year sentence for conspiracy and trafficking.
Clifton said the group had been "grooming and sexually exploiting" several young girls.
"In some cases those girls were raped callously, viciously and violently," the judge said.
- AFP/ck
