GUILTY: Man convicted of trafficking and raping 15-year-old Telford girl
A man has been found guilty of raping and human trafficking a 15-year-old girl from Telford.
Ghamer Sulayman, 23, picked up the girl from her home in Shropshire, telling her he was taking her shopping in Birmingham, only to arrive in a car with other men.
He took her to a house and demanded she engage in sex acts with multiple men.
He also raped her in a Telford supermarket car park, and arranged for other men to sexually exploit her there.
Sulayman, Mercia Drive, Kings Heath, Birmingham, was found guilty by a jury of seven men and five women to one charge of rape and two of human trafficking.
He was found not guilty of six further counts of rape and one of human trafficking at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
In a two-week trial, the court heard how Sulayman picked up the girl from her family home on July 1, 2016, with two other men in the car.
She was taken to a house where she was ordered by Sulayman to have sex with the homeowner, before being told to engage in a threesome with two other men.
After the ordeal she was dropped off at Birmingham New Street Station the next day. Sulayman got in touch with her later to ask if she was okay, before he struck again days later.
The victim told the court how he was laughing as he raped her, and how he told her she must take part in sex acts with other men waiting.
Sentencing
Sulayman, who is now in custody, will be sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Thursday.
His co-defendants Ayad Hizam, 21, and Saleh Qasem, 20, who are also from Birmingham, were found not guilty of charges against them.
Hizam, of Bridgecroft Road, Balsall Heath, faced four counts of abduction and four of sexual activity with a child.
Qasem, 20, of Runcorn Road, Balsall Heath, faced one charge of human trafficking and one of sexual assault.
After the jury delivered their verdicts following around six and a half hours of deliberation, Judge Peter Barrie said to them: “Thank you for the work you have done on this case.”
Detective Constable Steve Parton was the officer in charge of the investigation.
He has praised the victim, who is now 18, for her courage and bravery during the investigation and trial.
“The victim in this case has shown great courage and bravery, it has not been easy and I hope today’s verdict offers some solace to her as she now moves forward in her life,” he said.
