Man accused of child sex abuse in Telford made girl 'fall in love' with him before violating her and pimping her out, court hears

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told how a taxi driver threatened to petrol bomb the girl's house after her mum went to the police about him trying to get her to perform a sex act on him when she was 12; how Ali once sexually abused the girl in public while a dog walker looked on in disgust; and how the victim would be bombarded with phone calls from random men asking: "How much do you charge?"

On day one of the trial, the jury was told how Ali "befriended" the girl, plied her with vodka and Red Bull and made her "fall madly in love" with him. Ali would have been in his early 20s at the time.

"He charmed her and got her to fall in love with him to the extent she was besotted with him," said Steven Perian KC, prosecuting.

The court was told how on one occasion, a taxi driver who Ali sent to the girl tried to get her to perform a sex act on him.

She said no and told her mum, who contacted the police, and the driver was charged with a public order offence.

However, he and a friend went to the girl's house and threatened to petrol bomb it unless they withdrew their statements.

Video footage was played to the jury of the alleged victim, now in her 30s, tearfully giving evidence in a police interview, saying she "hates herself".

The court heard how the girl first met Ali when she went to the house of a disabled mother in the Wellington area with a friend and neighbour, who was a couple of years older than her.

The house was frequented by men including Ali, who would drink and "smoke weed".

The victim said that Ali was "nice at first". But not long after they started getting to know each other and while she was still 12, Ali told her he would "**** you when you turn 16".

It is alleged, however, that Ali did not wait until she was of legal age to use the girl for his sexual gratification.

The jury was told that Ali took the girl to various places for sex himself and to pimp her out to others, including hotels near Telford town centre, places in Wellington including his mother's house in Regent Street, Constitution Hill and a takeaway; a Chinese takeaway in Oakengates and a location in Stoke-on-Trent.

He also took her for sex at an address in Hurleybrook Way, Leegomery, Telford where a 2007 murder victim - 45-year-old Barry Evans - used to live. Mr Evans was stabbed to death by his partner Wendy Walters, who was 43 at the time of her conviction in court the following year. Ali is alleged to have abused the victim there some time between May 2004 and October 2006.

On one occasion, the court was told, Ali and the girl were spotted having sex in Constitution Hill by a woman walking her dog. The alleged victim said the dog walker "looked disgusted".

The alleged victim told how she would receive random phone calls from different men asking: "How much do you charge?". They told her that Ali had put them in touch with her.

And how on one occasion, she and three other girls were taken to a location in Stoke-on-Trent where there were other men, with one of them saying: "So, who's first?" The girls were sexually abused, one-by-one, she said.

She also told police how Ali was know as "Shaggy" to some people because "he slept around a lot".

The last time Ali and the alleged victim spoke, the court heard, was when he made a racist comment about her then partner.

Ali, of Portland Road, Birmingham, has denied two counts of rape, one of trafficking for sexual exploitation, four counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of indecent assault.

Mr Perian KC told the jury to take into consideration that the girl could not legally consent to sex when it came to the charges relating to when she was underage.

The trial continues.