Parts of the several Operation Nautical trials (girl grooming and rape) can now be reported.

From the Oxford Mail, the newspaper that gamely reported from the CCC Old Bailey every day during the last multi-handed sex gang trial from Oxford, Operation Bullfinch. These are some of the many men arrested under the police Operation Nautical who have been on trial, or trials at the Crown Court Oxford since the early autumn. Numerous trials, over two courtrooms, and the reasons they were not reported is obviously to avoid claims that the jury were influenced at a later trial, by knowing that a defendant has already been convicted of something similar earlier. That is right – no need to give away grounds for appeal. But it also means that the public have not been given a regular reminder of what these gangs do to little girls when they groom, rape and abuse them. The Oxford Mail has some details now about one trial involving ten of these prime specimens of manhood. Trials are on going and won’t end until next year.

The major trial into alleged child sexual exploitation, which began at Oxford Crown Court on October 9, is expected to last until January but for legal reasons can only now be reported.The men all deny a number of sex offences including conspiracy, rape, supplying drugs and indecent assault on young girls between 1998 and 2005.

Opening the trial in October, Oliver Saxby QC, prosecuting, told jurors: “This case concerns sexual exploitation on a massive scale. Routine, cynical and predatory sexual exploitation. Each of the young girls we are dealing with shared one very important characteristic, they were vulnerable. Perfect prey for, in the main, young men prepared to exploit them for casual sexual gratification that was easy, regular and readily available.”

One alleged victim recounted how she was pushed onto a bed at an address in Cowley and raped by two of the men. She was beaten with a slab of wood while the men sexually abused her and hurled nail varnish remover in her face the court heard.

Giving evidence earlier in the trial she told jurors: “I tried to push him off but he was stronger than me. [I was] slapped in the face with an open hand twice. They hit the back of the arms and the back of the legs with the plank, mainly on the torso area. It was painful.”

The court heard she told police in interview she was ‘screaming’ during the alleged ordeal and had begged them to stop.

In other instances of alleged abuse, the girls were also plied with drink and drugs as part of what prosecutors called the ‘grooming process’ and took part in ‘sex parties’ at a number of addresses across Oxford and one in London involving groups of men. The court was told some of the men would take the girls to local parks in and around Oxford where they would be raped and sexually abused.

One alleged victim, aged 14 at the time, told police she recalled ‘feeling sick’ afterwards after being sexually assaulted. Later, the girl was locked inside an Oxford guest house by one of the defendants and forced to jump off a second-floor balcony to escape.Another told police that: “[They] made you believe they actually cared about you, and they actually don’t. . . it took me some years to realise that.”

One of the defendants who is accused of one count of rape at a flat in London, Saboor Abdul, took to the witness box yesterday. Denying anything illicit took place at the flat he told jurors: “Nothing untoward happened. There was chit-chat; conversation and video games. It was a relaxed, warm atmosphere. There was no drama.”

The accused men are:

Raheem Ahmed, 40, of Starwort Path, Oxford, denies two counts of indecent assault, one of false imprisonment, one of rape and another of conspiracy to commit indecent assault.

Haji Khan, 37, of Littlegreen Lane, Birmingham, denies one count of indecent assault and one of conspiracy to rape.

Moinul Islam, 41, of Wykeham Crescent, Oxford, denies two counts of indecent assault, one count of rape, one count of false imprisonment and another of supplying a drug of Class B to another.

Kamran Khan, of Northfield Road, Bolton, denies one count of indecent assault, one count of rape and another of false imprisonment.

Kameer Iqbal, 38, of Dashwood Road, Oxford, denies three counts of rape.

Khalid Hussain, 37, of Ashhurst Way, Oxford, denies one count of indecent assault and two counts of rape.

Saboor Abdul, 37, of Oxford Road, Cowley, denies one count of rape.

An unnamed 47-year old denies one count of indecent assault.

An unnamed 36-year old denies three counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape and two counts of conspiracy to rape.

An unnamed 37-year old denies one count of indecent assault, one count of kidnapping and another of false imprisonment.