Telford brothers convicted of child sex offences

Mubarek Ali and Ahdel Ali "systematically groomed" their victims, police said

Two brothers from Telford have been found guilty of a string of sexual offences against young girls.

Ahdel Ali, 24, and Mubarek Ali, 29, both of Regent Street, Wellington, were also convicted of controlling child prostitution and trafficking girls.

Between them, the pair were convicted of 25 out of 26 charges and are due to be sentenced at a later date.

Stafford Crown Court heard the offences took place in the Telford area between March 2008 and December 2009.

The jury heard the brothers had sexually abused, trafficked, prostituted or tried to prostitute four Telford teenagers.

Ahdel Ali was also found guilty of raping a girl as young as 13.

One teenager was sold as a prostitute by Mubarek Ali when she was four months pregnant.

'Systematically groomed'

The court was told one of the other victims was regularly sold for sex to workers at two Telford restaurants and a Wellington fish and chip shop, as well as to associates of the two brothers.

Giving evidence, the 19-year-old said that from age 16 she had been taken to have sex with men up to four times a week.

Det Ch Insp Neil Jamieson, of West Mercia Police, said: "Ahdel Ali and Mubarek Ali targeted these girls because of the vulnerability and then systematically groomed them in such a way that eventually they could exploit them sexually for their own gain and gratification."

Harry Ireland, chief prosecutor with the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, thanked the victims for their "courage" in giving evidence during the trial.

"I hope the verdicts provide some comfort for them and their families, and help them rebuild their lives," he added.

Ahdel Ali was found guilty of one charge of rape, 11 charges of sexual activity with a child, three charges of controlling child prostitution, one of inciting child prostitution, an allegation of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and meeting a child after grooming.

He was cleared on one charge of inciting child prostitution.

Mubarek Ali was convicted of four charges of controlling child prostitution, two of trafficking in the UK for sexual exploitation and a charge of causing child prostitution.