Eight men charged with 34 offences in historic child sexual exploitation investigation in Wales 

Gwent Police’s Operation Oak investigates alleged abuse of children between 1985 and 1996; suspects to appear in court on 24 July

Eight men have been charged with a total of 34 offences, including 17 counts of rape, following a major investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in South Wales.

Gwent Police said the charges are the result of Operation Oak, an investigation into allegations made by several women who reported being sexually abused as children between 1985 and 1996. The charges relate to eight victims, all of whom were under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offences.

Detectives carried out coordinated arrests on Tuesday at locations in Newport, Swansea, London, Birmingham, Lancashire, Edinburgh and Dunoon in Scotland.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised 34 charges, including multiple counts of rape, indecent assault, conspiracy to rape, aiding and abetting rape, and offences relating to causing the prostitution of girls and women.

The eight men charged, aged between 54 and 73, are all British citizens and are due to appear before Newport Magistrates’ Court on 24 July.

Those charged are:

* Shafaq Mohammed (58), Birmingham – 11 offences, including four counts of rape of a girl under 16, three counts of rape of a woman aged 16 or over, aiding and abetting rape, and offences relating to prostitution.

* Syed Mohammad Ashan Taqvi (65), Newport – Three counts of rape of a girl under 16.

* Mohammed Sheikh Abdul Hannan (54), Edinburgh – Eight offences, including rape, indecent assault, conspiracy to rape and aiding and abetting rape.

* Kevin Lawrence (54), Dunoon – Three offences, including conspiracy to rape and causing the prostitution of a woman.

* Sheikh Mohammed Tahir Ullah (73), Newport – Two counts of rape involving a girl under 16 and a woman aged 16 or over.

* Aminur Rahman Chowdhury (58), Tottenham, London – One count of rape of a woman aged 16 or over.

* Shakeel Babur (58), Lancashire – Four counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16.

* Murad Ali (57), Swansea – Two counts of rape of a girl under 16.

Gwent Police said the investigation remains focused on securing justice for victims of historic abuse and urged anyone with information relevant to the case to contact the force.

As criminal proceedings are now active, all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.