Five men guilty in Rotherham Asian grooming case

The five - Umar Razaq, 24, Razwan Razaq, 30, Zafran Ramzan, 21, Adil Hussain 20, and Mohsin Khan, 21 - have been on trial at Sheffield Crown Court with three other men, accused of a string of sexually related offences against girls aged between 12 and 16 in Rotherham.

Today, after 23 hours of deliberation, a jury cleared three of the men of all the charges against them.

Ramzan was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl in her own home, and the other four were found guilty of sexual activity with a child.

All five will be sentenced tomorrow.

Some members of the jury of seven women and five men were visibly upset as the verdicts were returned in the packed court room following a seven week trial.

During the trial, the jury heard how the men developed relationships with three teenage girls - having sex with them in cars and parks in the Rotherham area.

The girls believed they were in relationships with the much older men.

Umar and Razwan Razaq are brothers. Ramzan is their cousin.

The authorities were alerted after changes were noted in the behaviour of the teenage victims.

As well as the rape conviction, Ramzan, of Broom Grove, Rotherham, was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child in relation to another girl. He was cleared of two further counts of rape.

Umar Razaq, of Oxford Street, Rotherham, was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child - a 13-year-old girl. He was cleared of raping another girl.

Razwan Razaq was found guilty of two charges of sexual activity with a child, relating to two different girl.

Adil Hussain, of Nelson Street, Rotherham, was found guilty of one charge of sexual activity with a child - a 13-year-old girl.

He was cleared of three similar charges.

Khan, of Haworth Crescent, Rotherham, was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child - a 13-year-old girl.

He was cleared of two similar charges and four charges of rape.

Three other defendants were cleared of all charges against them.

Judge Peter Kelson QC ordered all five to be remanded in custody until they are sentenced tomorrow morning.