Nottingham men jailed for abusing vulnerable teenage girls

Waqas Akhtar (left) and Mohammed Ahmed were jailed at Nottingham Crown Court

Two men have been jailed for grooming and sexually abusing three vulnerable teenage girls.

Mohammed Saeed Ahmed, 22, had admitted three charges and Waqas Akhtar, 26, was convicted at trial.

Nottingham Crown Court heard between February 2017 and January 2019 the men messaged the girls, who were aged 13 to 15, on social media apps and forced them into sexual activities.

One victim said she felt "betrayed" by Ahmed and he had "destroyed" her life.

• Mohammed Saeed Ahmed, 22, of Vale Crescent South, Nottingham, previously admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with a girl under 16. He was jailed for three years and given a restraining order against the girls

• Waqas Akhtar, 26, of Glentworth Road, Nottingham, was found guilty of sexual activity with a girl under 16, penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 16, two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, and meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming. He was jailed for seven years and six months

Adrian Amer, prosecuting, said Ahmed had contacted one of the girls through Snapchat, lied that he was 17, requested nude photos and also engaged in sexual activity with her when they met.

"She told him he was disgusting and told him to leave her alone," said Mr Amer.

"He became abusive over the course of the next few weeks and sent her messages on Facebook which she showed to police.

"These messages are hostile and he threatened to tell the police that she had been making threats towards him."

'Worst time in my life'

Mr Amer said the second girl met with Ahmed on four occasions and he would ask her to send nude photos every day.

"She said he would be nice and caring towards her but would be nasty and threatening if she didn't do what he wanted," he added.

He said the girl described it as "the worst time" of her life.

A statement from a victim read out in court said she felt "utterly betrayed" by Ahmed and he had "destroyed" her life.

She said it had affected her work and relationships with other people, and she now suffered with anxiety and depression.

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Nottinghamshire Police started investigating after concerns were raised by agencies supporting two of the girls, who later entered the care system.

Officers found "significant evidence of grooming and abuse" on the men's phones not only against the two girls, but against a third who had not been previously mentioned.

The "treasure trove" of evidence took months to process, the force added.

'Very harrowing'

Judge John Burgess said the girls had "felt pressured into" the sexual activity.

He said police had issued Akhtar with a warning against one of the girls in 2018 but "deliberately ignoring a very clear call to stay away, he repeatedly contacted her by social media and the contact was persistently sexual".

Speaking after the hearing, Det Insp Jamie Hill of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "I feel relief first of all. My staff and Nottinghamshire Police put a massive amount of effort into this case so it is very satisfying to see these men put behind bars but I am also relieved for the victims because ultimately this has been a very harrowing and difficult journey for them.

"I am very pleased with this result because it sends a very clear message to anybody who wants to engage children and exploit these vulnerable people - that police will do anything we can to stop them."

Nottingham City Council's corporate director for people, Catherine Underwood, said: "There can be nothing more important than the protection of children from abuse and as this case shows, we work tirelessly with the police and others to do just that."

A third man, Hamza Shazad, 27, of Ewart Road, Nottingham, is due to be sentenced for similar charges on 7 April.