Judge bans Asian men in grooming case from contact with all girls under 16

The men, all from Rotherham, were sentenced to a total of 32 and a half years in prison last November, after they were found guilty of having sex with vulnerable girls, one of whom was just 12 years old.

At the time, South Yorkshire Police applied for so-called Sexual Offences Prevention Orders against the defendants, and today Judge Peter Kelson QC agreed that restrictions should be imposed on the men.

Sitting at Sheffield Crown Court, the judge told Razwan Razaq, Mohammed Razwan, Mohsin Khan, Adil Hussain and Umar Razaq that they would be prohibited from having any contact with girls outside their family.

The judge also ordered that Razwan Razaq, Ramzan and Khan would be banned from being in a car, either stationary or moving, at any time with a girl under the age of 16 unless the child was a family member.

Judge Kelson said that the order did not cover contact with girls working in places such as shops, or while travelling on public transport, but would apply in all other public places "until further notice".

He added that the orders, which can be enforced by police officers, would be in place for at least five years after the men were released from prison. Breaching them would result in further prosecution.

The judge said: "You all know what this case concerned. You all know this is designed to protect young girls or the type of girls who you were trying to convince yourselves may just be 16 when they were not.

"You know I am trying to ensure that you are allowed to spend time with younger members of you own family."

Referring to the condition banning the men from sharing a car with young girls the judge added it covered the defendants whether they were a driver or a passenger in any private vehicle in any place.

Judge Kelson said: "This case involved you cruising the streets looking for young girls, and that is what is being prohibited."

After last year's trial Razwan Razaq, 30, of Oxford Street, Clifton, Rotherham was jailed for 11 years after he was found guilty of having sex with two 13-year-old girls.

His younger brother Umar, 24, also of Oxford Street, was jailed for four-and-a-half years. He was found guilty of having sex with a 13-year-old.

Mohammed Ramzan, 21, of Broom Grove, Broom, Rotherham was sentenced to nine years for raping a 16-year-old girl and two counts of having sex with her 13-year-old cousin.

Adil Hussain, 20, of Nelson Street, Clifton, Rotherham, was sent to a young offenders' institution for four years for having sex with a 13-year-old, and Mohsin Khan, 21, of Haworth Crescent, Moorgate, Rotherham was jailed for four years for sex with a 13-year-old in his car and giving her cannabis.

Former home secretary Jack Straw sparked a fierce row earlier this month after he claimed that some young men of Asian origin regarded young white girls as "easy meat" for sexual exploitation.

Mr Straw made his comments after two men of Asian origin were convicted of raping and sexually assaulting girls in Derby and were given indefinite jail terms.

He argued that there was a "specific problem" in some areas of the country where men from the Pakistani community "target vulnerable young white girls".

Speaking after yesterday's hearing, DS Dave Walker, who was involved in the Rotherham investigation said it was "more complicated than that" and was more often to do with "availability" than race.

He added: "Western white girls probably have a bit more freedom than other ethnic girls, so they are out at night. When you are cruising the streets looking for young girls, you are more likely to have white girls out there."

Martin Slack