Six men have denied historical offences related to the alleged sexual abuse and rape of children, appearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday. The charges are part of Gwent Police's Operation Oak investigation, which followed reports from women alleging sexual abuse as children in the 1980s and 1990s.
Nine men, aged 54 to 76, were arrested in July. Six of the defendants entered not guilty pleas to various charges, including rape, buggery without consent, indecent assault, aiding and abetting rape, and causing prostitution.
The men who entered pleas were Shafaq Mohammed, Syed Mohammad Ashan Taqvi, Mohammed Sheikh Abdul Hannan, Kevin Lawrence, Aminur Rahman Choudhury, and Murad Ali. Three other men – Sheikh Mohammed Tahir Ullah, Mohammed Ramzan, and Shakeel Babur – have not yet entered pleas but Gwent Police has stated the charges against them.
All of the men have been released on conditional bail. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke set a trial date for January 2028, which is expected to last up to 20 weeks.