Four men have been convicted for a series of horrific sexual offences against a vulnerable 16-year-old girl in a case described by police as deeply traumatic.
A predatory approach and initial assault
The court heard that the teenager's ordeal began when she was approached by Arqash Zaffar, 41, and Mohammed Nadim, 45, in Alum Rock Road, Birmingham. After she initially refused to give them her phone number, the men approached her again days later and offered her a lift to the city centre.
Instead of taking her to her destination, Zaffar drove to a secluded area where both he and Nadim sexually assaulted the girl in the back of the car. She was then driven to Walsall.
Orchestrated exploitation across the Midlands
The exploitation escalated rapidly. Zaffar, with associate Shahban Arif, 42, then drove the victim to Manchester to meet another man, Shiraz Nassir, 40. At Nassir's home in Denton, the girl was raped by both Zaffar and Nassir.
Arif later booked a hotel room in Walsall, providing his own identification despite giving false details about who would use it. Inside that room, the girl was subjected to further abuse by Zaffar, with Arif present.
The hotel room horror and police investigation
In a particularly chilling episode, Zaffar later drove the girl back to a hotel, telling her "I have something for you." Upon entering the room, she found four unknown men who then raped her one after another. These individuals have not yet been formally identified.
The teenager's immense courage in reporting the crimes to police launched a complex investigation. Diligent work by specialist child abuse officers from the West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit pieced together the events and identified the perpetrators.
Detective Constable Stewart Garratt praised the victim's strength, stating: "She is commended for her bravery, I'm so pleased with these convictions for her in particular. These males took advantage of a clearly vulnerable teenager."
Guilty verdicts and upcoming sentencing
The jury returned guilty verdicts on multiple charges. Arqash Zaffar was convicted of five counts of rape, causing a child to engage in sexual activity without consent on four occasions, and facilitating travel for sexual exploitation.
Shiraz Nassir was found guilty of rape. Mohammed Nadim was convicted of sexual assault, and Shahban Arif was found guilty of facilitating the travel of a child with a view to sexual exploitation.
All four defendants have been remanded in custody and are scheduled to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 19 March 2026.
The police force reiterated that survivors of sexual assault have lifelong anonymity and encouraged others to seek support. Specialist teams across the West Midlands are dedicated to investigating rape and serious sexual assault.
