Halifax ‘grooming gang’: Police officer among 16 men charged with sexually abusing girls

Amjad Ditta is accused of sexual touching over alleged abuse between 2006 and 2009

The men are accused of sexually abusing girls in Halifax, West Yorkshire (PA)

A police officer is among 16 men accused of being part of an alleged grooming gang in Halifax.

Amjad Ditta, a West Yorkshire Police officer, is among those prosecuted over sexual abuse between 2006 and 2009.

The 35-year-old, also known as Amjad Hussain, has been charged with sexual touching.

He has been suspended from duty as a constable in the force’s Protective Services Operations department.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed that he was a serving police officer at the time of an alleged offence in 2009.

Investigators said three women, who were aged between 13 and 16 at the time, have made allegations.

Mr Ditta and the 15 other defendants will appear at Bradford Magistrates’ Court on 6 January.

Metab Islam, 46, is accused of rape, supply of a class C drug, sexual assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Arfan Mir, 36 and also known as Khalifa Mughal, is charged with rape, supply of class A and class C drugs and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Nadeem Nassir, 39, and Shahzad Nawaz, 40, are both accused of rape, supply of a class C drug and making threats to kill.

Vaseem Adalat, 33, is charged with rape, trafficking and supply of a class C drug.

Christopher Eastwood, 45, Vaqaas Abbas, 30, Nadeem Adalat, 34, Shazad Nazir, 44, and Sohail Zafar, 36, are all charged with rape and supplying a class C drug.

Asad Mahmood, 33, is accused of rape and trafficking.

Younis Mohammed, aged 34 and also known as Younis Khan, is charged with rape and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Sajid Adalat, 43, and Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 34, are charged with rape. Ishtiaq Latif, 32, is accused of sexual activity with a child.

All the accused are from the Halifax area.