25 July,2015 10:56 AM IST | | PTI
An Indian-origin man is among six people found guilty of grooming, raping and abusing schoolgirls in South-East England.
London: An Indian-origin man is among six people found guilty of grooming, raping and abusing schoolgirls in South-East England.
Vikram Singh, 45, was found guilty of four counts of rape and one of administering a toxic substance with intent at the Old Bailey court in London today.
Eleven defendants faced trial, accused of 47 sexual offences between 2006 and 2012.
Four were cleared of any wrongdoing, while the jury could not reach a verdict on one of the men.
The six who have been convicted will be sentenced in September.
The offences, which all the defendants denied any involvement in, took place in cars, vans, flats and sometimes the girls' homes in Aylesbury, the court heard.
The jury deliberated for more than 42 hours before finding six men guilty of a range of offences against the girls, including rape, child prostitution and administering a substance to "stupefy" a girl in order to engage in sexual activity.
The court heard evidence from two victims, who came from troubled backgrounds and were befriended by the men who gave them alcohol, DVDs, food and occasionally drugs.
When she was 12 or 13, one of the girls was passed between 60 Asian men for sex and had been conditioned to think it was normal behaviour, the jury was told.
Prosecutor Oliver Saxby QC said the victims were "easy prey for a group of men wanting casual sexual gratification that was easy, regular and readily available".
