Seven Somali men convicted of running Bristol child sex ring will serve combined sentence more than 40 years

The men were part of a ring that involved the organised abuse, rape, forced prostitution and exploitation of teenage British girls

Seven Somali men who were found guilty of child sex crimes in Bristol that involved the organised abuse, rape and forced prostitution of British teenage girls have been jailed for a total of 40 years and six months.

Seven Somali men who were found guilty of child sex crimes in Bristol that involved the organised abuse, rape and forced prostitution of British teenage girls have been jailed for a total of 40 years and six months.

The men, who were part of an inner-city sex ring, groomed and abused girls aged between 13 and 17 over a period of two years.

The men had convinced the girls that the abusive behaviour was part of their “culture and tradition”. The girls had been made to believe they were in relationships with the groomers, and that it expected for them to have sex with their “boyfriend’s” friends.

One defendant, an aspiring boxer, forced a victim to be raped by his younger brother in a bid to save him from going to hell as he “wanted to turn gay”.

Said Zakaria, 22, was sentenced to 11 years for rape and sex with a child.

Speaking during the sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, Judge Julian Lambert told Zakaria he “showed utter disregard” for the integrity of the girl he abused.

“You were merciless. I will show you no mercy, nor should you receive it,” Judge Lambert said.

Mohamed Jomale, 24, was sentenced to 10 years for rape and sex with a child.

He was told by Judge Lambert: “She cared deeply for you, love flowed only one way, you reciprocated with only lust on your part.

“The law is there to protect girls being sexualised. You dominated a girl who was far too young.”

Jusuf Abdirizak, 20, was sentenced to seven-and-half years for rape; Sakariah Sheik was sentenced to four years for rape and sex with a child; Abdirashid Abdulahi, 21, was sentenced to four years for rape; Omar Jumale, 20, was sentenced to two years for sex with a child and Mohamed Dahir was sentenced to two years for causing child prostitution.

Abdirizak, who was captured on CCTV booking a hotel room in which a 13-year-old girl was later raped, was described as behaving “without humanity”.

Judge Lambert told Abdirazak: “I assess you as being responsible for an opportunistic rape which you perpetrated on a little girl of 13 who had been recruited for a sex party at a hotel.

“When a 13-year-old girl was left bruised and battered by two rapes by another, you took her by force. It was cynical, callous, and very nasty. You were merciless.

“You behaved with without humanity and with no pity whatsoever.”

The case is now the subject of serious case reviews.

It involved two trials that took place at Bristol Crown Court following an investigation, codenamed Operation Brooke, in which 14 men were convicted of child exploitation or drugs offences involving 10 victims.

Eight were jailed for a total of more than 70 years in June, while the remaining seven defendants - including one who featured in both trials - were sentenced today.

Details of the case were not able to be reported until Thursday after reporting restrictions were lifted following the conviction of the seven men sentenced today.

Additional reporting by agencies