Rapist gave drinks and drugs to girls before abuse

Obaidullah Omari was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday

A man who groomed and raped two children in Rotherham in the early 2000s has been jailed.

A two-week trial heard Obaidullah Omari gave the girls, who were aged between 13 and 14 at the time, alcohol and drugs before abusing them.

The 46-year-old was found guilty of three counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault. He was cleared of one count of rape of a child under the age of 13.

Omari, of Washington Road, Sheffield, was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court for 19 years.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the offences took place between 2003 and 2004, when Omari was in his 20s.

The court heard he raped one of the girls multiple times at his house in Eastwood and in his car, and raped the second girl on one occasion.

Both victims came forward more than 20 years after the abuse took place.

'Bravery'

Omari was arrested in 2019 as part of the NCA's Operation Stovewood, an investigation into allegations of abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

To date 48 people – including Omari – have been convicted.

NCA senior investigating officer Alan Hastings paid tribute to the women's bravery, saying that without their evidence Omari would not be behind bars.

"The victims demonstrated immense courage both in reporting Omari's crimes and in giving evidence against him," he said.

"I'm pleased that Operation Stovewood has been able to secure justice for the women and I hope Omari's conviction helps them move forward with their lives.

"I encourage victims of child sexual abuse to report it to police, no matter how long ago the offending took place."

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