The leader of a grooming gang in Rotherham has admitted to raping a 13-year-old girl.
Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 42, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault during an appearance at Sheffield Crown Court.
The offences took place between August 2001 and July 2002.
Akhtar supplied the teenager with alcohol and drugs before driving her to different locations to abuse her in the early 2000s.
WATCH: Sunak pledge to crackdown on grooming gangs
Akhtar would threaten to leave the girl stranded if she refused to comply with his demands for sex, prosecutors claimed.
The victim, who cannot be named, was groomed and led to believe she was in a relationship with Akhtar.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “On one occasion, when she did refuse to engage in sexual activity, she recalled having to walk for hours after she was kicked out of the car by Akhtar in the early hours of the morning.”
Akhtar is being prosecuted as part of the National Crime Agency’s Operation Stovewood investigation into child sex abuse and exploitation in Rotherham from 1997 to 2013.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
An image of Rotherham town centre
GETTY
The 42-year-old, who will be sentenced on December 18, is already serving a 23-year sentence after being convicted of sexual offences under a separate sub-operation included in Operation Stovewood.
Zoe Becker, legal manager for the CPS, said: “Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar targeted the young victim and used drugs and alcohol to groom her for sex.
“The lifelong physical and emotional trauma caused to victims by men like Akhtar cannot be understated.
“We would like to thank the victim in this case for coming forward and reporting this devastating crime.
An image of Sheffield Crown Court
GOOGLE STREET VIEW
“I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA, will continue to relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.
“Last year, to deal with some of the more complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases, we established our dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit to share specialist understanding, build strong cases and increase the amount of successful prosecutions.
“I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police.
“You are not alone and there is always help available.”
