Four men have been found guilty of a catalogue of horrific sexual offences against a vulnerable 16-year-old girl who was exploited and passed between them after being picked up on a Birmingham street.
A Predatory Pick-Up and Days of Abuse
The victim, who had run away from home and was known to social services, was picked up by Arqash Zaffar in his BMW on Alum Rock Road on July 20, 2019. Mohammed Nadim was also in the vehicle. The Crown's case stated that her ordeal began almost immediately, with the men driving her to a dead end where they exposed themselves and demanded kisses.
She was then taken to a car park where Nadim sexually assaulted her in the back of the car, before Zaffar forced her to perform a sex act. Over the following days, the teenager was subjected to repeated rapes and exploitation, being driven between Birmingham, Walsall, and Manchester.
Ordeal in Hotel Rooms and a Manchester Flat
The court heard how the girl was raped by Zaffar in a hotel room in Walsall in front of another man. In a separate hotel room, Zaffar boasted that she was "sexually available" before raping her in front of a group of men, who then each took their turn to rape her.
Shahban Arif was implicated in arranging her accommodation in a Walsall hotel. Zaffar later drove the victim to Manchester in the middle of the night, where she was raped by him and a fourth defendant, Shiraz Nassar, at Nassar's flat in Denton.
Justice After a Five-Week Trial
Following a five-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury returned guilty verdicts. Arqash Zaffar, 41, from Walsall, was convicted of five counts of rape, four counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of arranging travel for exploitation.
Mohammed Nadim, 44, also from Walsall, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault. Shahban Arif, 42, of Walsall, was convicted of an exploitation offence. Shiraz Nassar, 40, from Denton, Manchester, was found guilty of one charge of rape. Sentencing for all four men was adjourned until March 19, 2026.
The victim's nightmare finally ended when she was dropped off near Selfridges in Birmingham. She disclosed the abuse to her social worker upon returning home on August 12, 2019, when she was described as being "extremely upset". She identified the men by nicknames: Zaffar as 'Mikey', Nadim as 'Dimma', and Nassar as 'Soldier'. She recalled Arif by his appearance, describing him as having a "rat-like face", leading to him being referred to as 'rat' during the trial.
All four defendants had admitted being in the girl's company but denied the offences. The jury was shown evidence that Arif had booked a hotel room using a false name alongside Zaffar's vehicle details.
