A YOUNG girl's "delinquent behaviour" made her an"ideal candidate" to be groomed and sold for sex by a gang as she was unlikely to be believed by police, the Old Bailey heard this morning.

Nine men are on trial accused of raping and trafficking girls aged between 11 and 15 in Oxford. They deny all 79 charges.

Prosecutor Noel Lucas said one victim, described as Girl 3 because she cannot be named, was chosen as she was "unlikely to be believed", adding: "It did not take much for the police to be persuaded a crime had not been committed."

He was speaking after the jury heard that in 2006 the girl told police she had been raped, beaten and drugged at the Nanford Guest House in Iffley Road.

The historic courthouse also heard young girls were too"afraid" to object when they were taken to cities as a far away as Manchester to have sex with men.

They were also driven to properties across Oxford for sex.

Mr Lucas said one 14-year-old girl was burnt with a lighter and told she would be shot when she refused to have sex.

He said: "She didn't want to have sex with any of the Asian men. She did so as she was afraid of them."

Mr Lucas said one victim had said to a friend at the time: "I have no choice. I just want to be loved.

"I've never been loved and this shows me love."

The girl was so scared she only came to the police when she saw the news coverage of the arrests last March, he added.

The accused all deny the charges. They are:

 

  • Kamar Jamil, 27, of Aldrich Road, Summertown, Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and one of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
  • Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies six rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
  • Anjum Dogar, 30, <31 on Feb 17> of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
  • Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashhurst Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to rape and three of sexual activity with a child.
  • Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies seven rapes, four charges of conspiracy to rape, an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit sexual activity with a child, two of trafficking for sexual exploitation, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, assault, conspiracy to assault, using an instrument to procure a miscarriage, and supplying a Class A drug to another.
  • Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies three rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and conspiracy to assault.
  • Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, denies rape, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
  • Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
  • Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, denies conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and sexual activity with a child.