A GANG of men has been found guilty of grooming, drugging, raping and prostituting vulnerable children in Oxford.

Seven out of nine men were convicted this afternoon by jurors at the Old Bailey on 59 charges which included child rape, sex trafficking, serious sexual assault, and arranging child prostitution.

The crimes were committed against six girls aged between 11 and 15 from 2004 to 2011.

The historic court heard the gang targeted girls from troubled home lives, befriended them, before introducing them to drugs and alcohol.

Their victims were then made to have sex with the men, their friends, and their "customers".

If they refused they were threatened with violence and then forced.

The jury returned their verdicts after more than 17 hours of deliberations following a trial lasting more than four months.

During the trial jurors heard how the girls were gang raped, beaten, burnt, sexually assaulted with knives and a baseball bat, gagged, tied up, and scratched.

Following the verdicts Judge Peter Rook told the jury they were now exempt from jury service for the rest of their lives.