June 2014
FIVE men from Burton have been convicted of child exploitation offences
The case was heard during a two week trial at Stafford Crown Court and follows a lengthy investigation by Staffordshire Police’s Child Exploitation Team concerning activity that took place in the Burton area between October 2012 and May 2013 involving the same victim.
Umber Farrouq, 21, of Belvedere Road, Burton, and Anees Hanif, 19, of Norfolk Road, Burton, were both found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.
Hanif was found not guilty of one further count of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 but was convicted of inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.
Matab Ali, 21, of Gordon Street, Burton, was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.
Junaid Ali, 20, of Shobnall Street, Burton, was found guilty of the attempt rape of a girl aged 13 to 15.
Ameer Arshad, 18, of Waterloo Street, Burton, was found not guilty of inciting sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 but was found guilty of blackmail.
Haroon Hafeez, 22, of Shobnall Street, Burton, was cleared of three counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.
Farrouq and Arshad remain on bail. Hanif, Matab Ali and Junaid Ali are remanded in custody for unrelated matters.
They will next appear at Stafford Crown Court on Friday, July 18.
The men were arrested in Burton between 10 October 2013 and January 2014.
A seventh suspect, a 17-year-old male from Burton, received a conditional youth caution for inciting sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 and was referred to the Youth Offending Team.
