Telford child sex ring trials to run for over a year

A series of fresh trials involving nine Telford men facing charges of sexual exploitation and child prostitution are not expected to be completed for more than a year.

Seven of the defendants appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court today where the prosecution outlined a timetable for three trials.

The hearing followed the collapse of a trial at Stafford Crown Court in September.

Today Miss Deborah Gould, prosecuting, said that a provisional indictment had been prepared for 36 charges.

The alleged offences, which involve five teenage girls from Telford, are said to have taken place between 2007 and 2009.

The court heard a provisional date for the first trial was June 18 and was likely to be heard at Birmingham Crown Court or Wolverhampton Crown Court, lasting up to four months.

The first trial would involve the defendants Ahdel Ali, 23, of Regent Street; Mubarek Ali, 28, also of Regent Street; Mohammed Ali Sultan, 24, of Victoria Avenue; Noshad Hussain, 21, of Regent Street, all Wellington, Mohammed Younis, 59, of Kingsland, Arleston, Mohammed Islam Choudhrey, 52, of Solway Drive, Sutton Hill, both Telford, and Mahroof Khan, 33, of Caradoc Flats, Wellington. Two other trials will follow later in the year.

Judge Robin Onions made directions for the preparation of the trials and said the case should be listed at Shrewsbury Crown Court again on January 27 for further directions.