Two sex abusers plied young girls with drugs

Two men who plied two young girls in Coventry with alcohol and cocaine have been found guilty of sex trafficking offences.

Farhang Taha, 26, of Vincent Street, and Attullah Areen, 31, of Scarborough Way, were both convicted of two counts of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation following a trial at Warwick Crown Court.

West Midlands Police said the court heard how Taha and Areen picked the girls up and drove to addresses in the city, where they supplied them with substances before sexually abusing them.

The pair, who had denied the charges despite police finding video clips of the abuse on one of their phones, are due to be sentenced at the same court on 6 August.

The abuse took place between 2016 and 2018, when the victims were 15 and 16 years old, the force said.

It added that they came forward to report the abuse in 2021 and an investigation was launched, however both of the men had tried to claim the girls had lied.

Following the 26 June convictions, a police spokesperson praised the bravery of the now-adult victims in coming forward.

They added that the force worked hard to ensure all victims and survivors of sexual abuse felt able to approach police, and robust investigations were carried out to bring perpetrators to justice.