Seven men have been charged after a ‘grooming gang’ investigation in Bristol, police say.
The suspects face a total of 40 offences between them, including rape, the supply of drugs and arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child.
Two of the men are Syrian, one is Iranian, one is Iraqi, one is Egyptian and two others are British.
The charges follow an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police, which began in November 2023 after concerns were raised about the sexual exploitation of a teenage girl.
In April 2024, initial arrests were made as part of a day of action in the city. Those arrested were released on bail to allow enquiries to take place, with a dedicated team working on the case.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has now authorised the following charges against seven men.
The charges relate to 11 victims in total, who were aged in their mid to late teens at the time of the alleged offences:
▸ Mohamed Arafe, 19, of Speedwell in Bristol. He is Syrian and his self-defined ethnicity is Arab. He has been charged with five counts of arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child, one count of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, one count of sexual assault, one count of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and a further count of being concerned in the supply of ecstasy.
▸ Sina Omari, 20, of Fishponds in Bristol. He is Iranian and his self-defined ethnicity is Arab. He has been charged with two counts of rape, four counts of arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child, one count of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, one count of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and a further count of being concerned in the supply of ecstasy.
▸ Wadie Sharaf, 21, of Redland in Bristol. He is Syrian and his self-defined ethnicity is Arab. He has been charged with one count of rape, one count of attempted rape, three counts of sexual assault, and a further count of sexual activity with a child.
▸ Hussain Bashar, 19, of Southmead in Bristol. He is British and his self-defined ethnicity is ‘Any other’. He has been charged with one count of rape.
▸ Mohammed Kurdi, 21, of Henbury in Bristol. He is British and his self-defined ethnicity is Arab. He has been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child, one count of supplying a class A drug (ecstasy) and a further count of supplying a class B drug (cannabis).
▸ Sardam Ahmed, 19, of no fixed address. He is Iraqi and his self-defined ethnicity is ‘mixed white and Asian’. He has been charged with four counts of rape, one count of arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, one count of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and a further count of being concerned in the supply of ecstasy.
▸ Ihab Al-Eisawi, 26, of Hillfields in Bristol. He is Egyptian and his self-defined ethnicity is ‘Any other Asian background’. He has been charged with two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Detective Chief Inspector Tom Herbert, the senior investigating officer, said: “This remains a complex and sensitive investigation which has the protection of young girls from exploitation and the disruption of offending at its very heart.
“Working with our partners, we’ve ensured the most appropriate safeguarding measures and support has been made available to each victim to protect them from harm.
“Officers have been working around the clock to identify potential offences and we’ve worked extremely closely with the CPS to reach this highly significant stage.”
Bristol Superintendent Deepak Kenth said: “Neighbourhood officers have been supporting the investigation since these offences were first identified.
“We know this update will be a huge shock to our communities and I want to reassure everyone that we’ll continue to work tirelessly to protect children from abuse and exploitation.
“Working with our partner agencies, we’ve held events in Bristol city centre and continue to work with hotels, taxi drivers, and other businesses, to raise awareness about the signs of exploitation and the need to report any concerns or issues to the police.
“We’ll be carrying out reassurance patrols in the city and urge anyone with worries or concerns to speak to one of our officers.”
James Bolton-Smith, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor and lead of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute seven men following a police investigation into group-based child sexual exploitation in Bristol.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to charge and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
“We have worked closely with Avon and Somerset Police as they carried out their investigation.
“We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspects are active and they have a right to a fair trial.
“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.”
The suspects were re-arrested on Tuesday (11 November) in a targeted police operation in Bristol, and appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court this morning (Wednesday 12 November).
