Telford grooming gang ringleader who abused up to 100 girls has bid for freedom rejected by Parole Board
Ahdel Ali, now aged 39, was jailed in 2012 along with other gang members
The leader of a Telford grooming gang has had his latest bid for freedom rejected by the Parole Board.
Ahdel Ali, now aged 39, was jailed for 18 years in 2012 for running a network that systematically groomed, raped, trafficked, and forced vulnerable teenage girls - some as young as 13 - into sex work in Telford.
Working alongside his older brother, Mubarek Ali, and four other associates, Ahdel Ali, then aged 25, targeted local youths with food, alcohol, and money to gain control over them.
The gang of six men abused more than 100 vulnerable teenagers from 2006 to 2009 in Telford.
After his conviction for multiple offences including the rape of a 13-year-old, multiple counts of sexual activity with a child, controlling and inciting child prostitution, and meeting a child after grooming, Ali was jailed for 18 years and handed an additional eight-year period on licence.
His brother Mubarek was jailed for 12 years and handed an additional eight-year period on licence.
Ahdel Ali was initially released from prison in December 2020 at the automatic release point in his sentence, but he was recalled to custody in June 2021 as a result of disclosures he made that he had been having contact with women that he had not disclosed to the Probation Service.
Now a new bid for freedom has been rejected by the Parole Board.
The Parole Board heard the case at an oral hearing on October 6, with Ali appearing by video link.
In his evidence, Ali told the Parole Board that while he accepted the 2012 offending and felt shame for it, he said his victims consented to sex and denied he had committed rape.
In a report of its findings the Parole Board said: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody, and on licence, and the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.
“The panel considered that Mr Ali still had little awareness and understanding of his offending. In the absence of this, the panel considered that the risk of further offending would be too high and that he could not be managed in the community.
“He will be eligible for another parole review in due course.”