Coventry: Men Charged With Sex Abuse Of Girls

A group of men accused of exploiting teenage girls have been charged with offences including rape, sexual assault and trafficking.

Ten men were charged on Thursday following an investigation into allegations of abuse of five "vulnerable" girls aged between 16 and 18 in Coventry.

Gulfraz Banaris, 20 and his 25-year-old brother Ifaraz from Wood End and Izthkhab Banaris, 24, from Eld Road, Coventry, are charged with conspiracy to traffic girls across the city for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Gulfraz and Izthkhab Banaris are also both accused of a rape.

All three appeared before Coventry magistrates on Thursday and were remanded to appear at Coventry Crown Court on November 7.

Isa Iqbal, 21, and his 20-year-old brother Ismail, both of no fixed address and cousins of the Banaris brothers, also face trafficking charges and have been remanded until November.

Ricardo Hinkson, 23, from Telfer Road in Radford, Amir Mahmood, 27, a sign writer from Blackwell Road, Foleshill and milkman Tasveer Hussain, 30, from Canal Road in Foleshill, are due to appear at Coventry Magistrates Court charged with conspiracy to traffic within the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Mechanic Saleem Hussain, 30, from Beake Avenue, Coventry, and Khezer Hussain, 25, from Bordesley Green East, Stechford, are due before magistrates to face charges of sexual assault and rape.

West Midlands Police said the five alleged victims are safe and continue to be supported by specially trained officers from the force's Public Protection Unit (PPU) along with agencies including Coventry City Council Children's Services.

Coventry PPU Chief Inspector Sue Holder, said: "Protecting young people from harm is a priority for West Midlands Police and the force takes reports of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously."