THE courage of seven young Barnsley girls who bravely disclosed the sexual abuse they had been subjected to has resulted in the conviction of two men.

Bawan Hawre, from Iraq, and Sharam Muhamadi, from Iran, were both found guilty by a jury on Tuesday afternoon of a number of offences against the girls, who were aged between 12 and 16 at the time, after a four-week-long trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

They were charged following a thorough investigation, led by South Yorkshire Police’s Barnsley Child Exploitation Team, in conjunction with Barnsley Council.

After building rapport with the victims, the multi-agency investigation team was able to establish that there were additional victims, and through careful and dedicated work over a period of time, identified 'Karo' as 28-year-old Hawre and 'Jack' as 21-year-old Muhamadi.

During the trial, the jury heard the offenders, who used the fake names in every encounter with the girls, initially made contact via a social media platform where they offered the girls vapes, e-cigarettes and money.

Arrangements were then made to meet in person, where the girls were transported between Barnsley and Doncaster.

Six of the girls were given alcohol and drugs before being raped by Hawre.

Detective Sergeant Jude Proffitt said: "These girls have demonstrated such bravery in testifying against these men who abused them.

“They will continue to be safeguarded and offered support by the force, Barnsley Council and other services.

"We will continue to do everything we can to prevent and eradicate child sexual exploitation, acknowledging that the issue is evolving and there will always be more to do.

“We are, however, encouraged that the processes and procedures the police and local authority have in place to spot the signs and act on them enabled and empowered one of the victims to make the first disclosure which ultimately led to these convictions.

“We also commit to ensuring our response to child sexual exploitation is the best it can be, providing victims with the support they need to disclose incidents and bring cases to court in the hope of securing justice.

“While this conviction concludes these criminal proceedings, both ourselves and Barnsley Council will continue in our efforts to identify those at risk of child sexual exploitation and intervene at the earliest possible opportunity.

“If you or someone you know may have been subjected to this awful abuse, please report it to the police, BSAFE or someone you trust.”

Muhamadi, who was on bail, failed to appear at court this week and a wanted appeal is set to be issued.

Sentencing will take place at the court on Thursday.