Bradford council has insisted that safeguarding young people is its ‘top priority’ after nine men were convicted of child sexual exploitation.
The men were found guilty of offences including rape and inciting child prostitution after a trial lasting more than six weeks.
Bradford Crown Court heard that the grooming and abuse began in 2008 when the girls were aged 14 and living in a children's home in Bradford.
The jury were told that the girls were often picked up by the defendants outside of the home.
One of the girls told the police in 2013 that she had been ‘groomed by hundreds of men’, but this was not followed up at the time.
Responding to the convictions, David Niven, independent chair of the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, said: ‘Safeguarding our young people is a top priority for the District.
‘The men who have been convicted committed vile offences against vulnerable girls between 2008 and 2009.
‘What their convictions show is that perpetrators who carry out crimes like these will be pursued, no matter when the crimes took place.’
‘The safeguarding board will look closely at this case to see if there are any lessons we can learn that could help us keep young people safer,’ he added.
