Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SEX GANG CAGED
200 years jail for 20 evil predators who drugged & raped girls as young as 11
TWENTY men have been found guilty of being part of an Asian sex gang that raped and abused girls as young as 11.
The men, aged from 27 to 54, were convicted of more than 120 offences against 15 girls in Huddersfield.
Ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal, 35, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 18 years.
Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told him: “Children’s lives have been ruined by you and other members of your gang.” He called the abuse “vile and wicked”.
Fifteen other men were jailed for between five and 18 years. In total they will serve more than 200 years. Four more await sentence.
Details of the crimes can only now be published after reporting restrictions were lifted. During three trials, jurors heard the men used nicknames such as Dracula, Beastie and Bully.
Vulnerable girls were plied with drink and drugs and then “used and abused at will” in a seven-year “campaign of rape and abuse” between 2004 and 2011.
Married father-of-two Dhaliwal groomed at least 11 of the girls, some of whom were in care and some of whom had mild learning disabilities. At least one tried to kill herself.
Dhaliwal often made videos of abuse to share with other men. Once he had raped the girls he would pass them around for further abuse.
One victim had a baby with one of the men and another believes her child is the product of the sexual abuse. English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was jailed for contempt of court after a video he made of defendants approaching court was viewed 250,000 times on social media but he was freed on August 1 after challenging the ruling.
Appearing at Leeds crown court with ringleader Dhaliwal were:
Children’s lives have been ruined by you and members of your gang GEOFFREY MARSDEN QC JUDGE JAILING DHALIWAL