Girl, 12, tells Sheffield jury a man accused of grooming seven teenagers "is a paedophile no matter what"
“I’m a victim, get it through your head”
The alleged teenage victim of a Doncaster man accused of grooming young girls told a jury: “He’s a paedophile, no matter what.”
A trial is underway at Sheffield Crown Court for two men charged with trafficking and sexually abusing seven underage girls after allegedly plying them with alcohol, cash, drugs and e-cigarettes.
The girls, some of whom were known to each other, were allegedly targeted through Snapchat and abused by defendants Bawan Harwe, 28, and Sharam Muhamadi, 20, in 2024.
Evidence from Girl E
At court on Thursday, May 21, a jury saw a glimpse into how girls ensnared by groomers are convinced to bring other girls to the men for them to get abused too.
Jurors heard video evidence of one of the alleged victims, designated Girl E.
Girl E was just 12 when she was reportedly given cocaine by the two men before she was raped multiple times.
Harwe has already pleaded guilty to one count of rape towards the 12-year-old, but denies the charges against the other six girls.
The court heard how Girl E was brought to the men by another alleged victim in a series of texts that shine a light on how the girls were allegedly exploited.
The texts to Girl E by another victim read: “I got £100 for just hanging with them, and I got another £100 for [a sex act]. I only had to do it once.
“They asked me to bring a fit mate and you’re the only one I can think of.”
In the video interview where she was cross examined by defence barrister Mr David Brook KC, the girl was asked: “Karo [the name she knew Harwe by] said no one made you have sex, but that you wanted it.”
The girl replied fiercely: “So what? He’s a paedophile, no matter what.
“I was a 12-year-old girl looking for drugs and sex.
“I was in a random house with random men wanting to have sex with them and get drugs.
“I’m a victim. Get it through your head.”
Mr Brooks asked: “Did you try and blame the men and make it as bad as possible for them?”
“Make it as bad as possible for them?” the girl replied. “No.”
When asked if he she had lied about some details to the police, the girl said: “If you’re about to imply that I’m lying again, I’m going to flip this table as that’s just pure disrespectful.”
A common detail among all of the girls’ accounts so far include being made to shower after every offence, and being introduced to Harwe because he advertised e-cigarettes on Snapchat.
In each offence outlined so far, the alleged victims also told Harwe and Muhamadi they were under 16, with Harwe allegedly saying either “I don’t need to know”, encouraging them to say they were 18, or brushing it away with “age is age.”
The charges faced by the defendants
The defendants are accused of a total of 21 offences between them, with both men accused of multiple counts of rape and trafficking charges.
They deny the charges.
However, Harwe, 28, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of rape committed against the 12-year-old victim.
He denies one further count of rape of a child under 13, along with five counts of rape of a girl aged 13/14/15; two counts of adult meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming; two counts of false imprisonment and six counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation.
Mr Muhamadi, now aged 20, of Hexthorpe Road, Doncaster, denies one count of rape of a girl aged 13/14/15; one count of rape of a girl under 13 and three counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation.
The trial continues.
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