A man from Walsall has been found guilty of helping to exploit a vulnerable 16-year-old girl who had run away from her Birmingham home, in a case that saw three other men convicted of sexually assaulting and raping her.
The 'rat-faced' accomplice
Shahban Arif, aged 42 from Holden Crescent in Walsall, was identified by the victim due to his distinctive appearance. The girl described him to police as a 'small, proper skinny old guy' with a 'rat-like face', leading to him being referred to as 'rat' during the trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Arif was convicted of a single charge of arranging the travel of another person with a view to exploitation. Notably, he was the only member of the group not accused of physically attacking the teenager himself.
Details of the exploitation
The court heard that in July 2019, the girl was picked up in Birmingham by Arif's long-time friend, Arqash Zaffar, 41, from Persehouse Street, Walsall. Zaffar then collected Arif before driving the victim to Manchester.
In Manchester, it was alleged the men took cocaine at the flat of co-defendant Shiraz Nassar, before Zaffar and Nassar raped the girl in a bedroom. Following this, Arif booked a hotel room in Walsall for Zaffar to take the girl to, using Zaffar's BMW details and a false name on the booking.
During the period she was missing, the teenager was repeatedly raped by Zaffar, including in front of other men who took turns abusing her in a hotel room. She was also sexually assaulted in the back of Zaffar's car by his friend, Mohammed Nadim, 45, from Wednesbury Road, Walsall.
Convictions and sentencing
The jury found Arqash Zaffar guilty of five counts of rape, four counts of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, and one count of arranging travel for exploitation.
Mohammed Nadim was found guilty of one count of sexual assault. Shiraz Nassar, 40, from Fir Road, Denton in Manchester, was convicted of one charge of rape.
Arif was arrested in October 2020. When informed of the suspected offence, he asked 'frantic questions' and expressed surprise at his arrest, later offering no comment in interview. His defence claimed he was intoxicated and unaware of any wrongdoing.
Sentencing for all four men has been adjourned and is scheduled to take place on March 19 next year.
