Eight men charged in historical child sex gang inquiry

Eight men charged in historical child sex gang inquiryImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Officers from Gwent Police made arrests across the country on TuesdayByNicholas BourneBBC WalesPublished1 hour agoEight men have been charged with 34 offences as part of an investigation into historical child sexual exploitation.Police arrested the men from locations in Newport, Swansea, London, Birmingham, Lancashire, Edinburgh and the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland.Operation Oak involved a "complex and long-running investigation into group-based child sexual exploitation in south Wales", said Det Ch Supt Andrew Tuck from Gwent Police.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had authorised charges, including 17 counts of rape.The inquiry focuses on allegations made by several women of sexual abuse committed against them as children between 1985 and 1996.Jenny Hopkins, chief crown prosecutor for Wales, said prosecutors had "worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings"."We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial."The men, aged 54 to 73, are all British citizens and are due to appear before Newport Magistrates' Court on 24 July. They are:Shafaq Mohammed, 58, of Birmingham, charged with a total of 11 offences; four counts of rape of a female under 16, three counts of rape of a female aged 16 years or over, two counts of aiding and abetting the rape of a female under 16, causing the prostitution of a girl under 16, causing the prostitution of a womanSyed Mohammad Ashan Taqvi, 65, of Newport, charged with three counts of rape of a female under 16Mohammed Sheikh Abdul Hannan, 54, of Edinburgh, charged with eight offences; two counts of rape of a female aged 16 years or over, one count of indecent assault on a woman over 16 years of age, three counts...