FOURTEEN Somali men have been convicted of running an inner city sex ring that involved the abuse, rape and prostitution of teenage British girls.

It can be reported for the first time that victims as young as 13 were preyed upon, sexually abused and passed around the men's friends for money in Bristol. Several of the girls were groomed to the extent they believed abuse was part of loving relationships they were having with the defendants.

Defendants were tried in two separate trials at Bristol Crown Court this year. Liban Abdi, 21, Mustapha Farah, 21, Arafat Osman, 20, Idleh Osman, 22, Abdulahi Aden, 20, Said Zakaria, 22, Mustafa Deria, 22, and Deria's cousin Mohamed Jama, 20, were all jailed for between 18 months and 13 years for either child sexual exploitation or drugs offences. Mohamed Jumale, 24, Mohamed Dahir, 22, Zakaria, Jusuf Abdizirak, 20, Omar Jumale, 20, Abdirashid Abdulahi, 21 and Sakariah Sheik, 21, were all convicted of child sexual exploitation offences.

Judge Julian Lambert will sentence the seven defendants for the 20 charges they were convicted of, relating to four victims, today. The shocking case can only be reported for the first time now because restrictions placed upon the media were lifted at the conclusion of the second trial.