ROTHERHAM GROOMING SCANDAL: 12 men charged under NCA Operation Stovewood

TWELVE men have been charged with historic sex grooming offences alleged to have taken place in Rotherham.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) charged nine men with offences as part of Operation Stovewood - its investigation into historic child sex abuse in and around Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

The men charged are:

• Mohammed Amar, 41, of Elizabeth Way, Rotherham, charged with two counts of indecent assault.

• Mohammed Siyab, 43, of Stevenson Drive, Rotherham, charged with two counts of rape, one of indecent assault and one of trafficking.

• Omar Mahmood, DoB 21/09/1986, of Grosvenor Road, Rotherham, charged with two counts of rape.

• Yasser Ajaib, 38, of Walter Street, Rotherham, charged with one count of indecent assault.

• Mohammed Zameer Sadiq, 48, of Richard Street, Rotherham, charged with two counts of rape.

• Abid Sadiq, 42, formerly of Rotherham*, charged with three counts of rape and one of indecent assault.

• Tahir Yasin, 37, of Burngreave Street, Sheffield, charged with six counts of rape.

• Ramin Bari, 36, of Batemore Road, Sheffield, charged with four counts of rape.

The offences in question are alleged to have taken place between 2003 and 2008.

A ninth man, Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 41, formerly of Rotherham has separately been charged with two counts of rape and two of indecent assault, alleged to have taken place in 2001 and 2002.

All nine appeared before Sheffield Magistrates on Wednesday April 19 and were bailed until their next appearance at Sheffield Crown Court.

Operation Stovewood is the single largest law enforcement investigation into non-familial child sexual abuse (CSA) in the UK, with officers investigating allegations of CSA in and around Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

Earlier three brothers from Meersbrook in Sheffield were charged with a series of sexual offences linked to Operation Stovewood.

Amar Ilyas, aged 39, has been charged with 20 offences including 12 counts of rape and three of indecent assault.

Kamar Ilyas, aged 36, has been charged with five offences including one count of rape, while Kamran Ilyas, aged 35, has been charged with four offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

The offences relate to four individuals who are alleged to have been sexually abused between 2003 and 2007.

All three appeared before Sheffield Magistrates, where they were bailed to appear before Sheffield Crown Court.