Rotherham man guilty of raping teenage girl

Asghar Bostan, 47 from East Bawtry Road, raped his victim twice between 2000 and 2002 after giving her drugs and alcohol, and coercing her into staying at a flat in the town.

His victim, who was under 16 at the time, reported him to South Yorkshire Police in 2014 and the case was referred to the National Crime Agency's 'Operation Stovewood' team, which is investigating child sexual exploitation and abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

To date, 35 individuals have been arrested, 18 have been charged and three have been convicted as part of Stovewood.

Officers are working with over 260 victims and over 100 suspects have been identified.

Senior investigating officer, Paul Williamson, said: "This is the second trial under Operation Stovewood and the commitment of officers in building trust and relationships with victims should not be underestimated.

"Our investigations are complex and challenging, but I am sure today’s conviction will give other victims the confidence to know they will be listened to, and the individuals who exploited them in the worst imaginable way will be brought to justice.

"Working with South Yorkshire Police, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and the many other partners we are engaged with, we will not stop in our endeavors to get justice for the victims and survivors who have shown great courage and dignity in coming forward."

Kate Hurst, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Bostan took advantage of a young girl at a time when she was vulnerable.

"On two separate occasions, drink and possibly drugs were used before he took her into the bedroom and raped her. Bostan was much older than the victim who was still a child and barely knew him.

"Bostan denied that he was the male she recognised as ‘Don’ but evidence put forward by the CPS, including the victim’s accounts of the incidents, saw the jury find him guilty.

"I would like to pay tribute to the victim who came forward and bravely supported this prosecution."

An NSPCC spokeswoman said: "This latest conviction once again makes it clear to victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse that when they come forward they will be listened to and perpetrators like Bostan will be put before the courts to face justice.

"Young people do not always recognise that they are being exploited and treated as property, making child sexual exploitation an often hidden crime. We want every child to be able to spot exploitation for what it is and, if they suffer this form of abuse, to know that it was not their fault.

"The NSPCC’s Protect and Respect service in Sheffield helps to educate young people in how to spot grooming and potential abusers, find their way out of an exploitative situation and help them on the road to recovery."