A DAD told an Old Bailey jury today it "defies belief" his daughter was abused by a child sex gang while under police protection.

The father of the complainant described as Girl 1 told the jury he would "desperately" search Oxford when his daughter would go missing.

Girl 1 is one of six to allege they were abused between the ages of 11 and 15 by a child sex exploitation gang in Oxford between 2004 and 2012.

Her dad told the court she had gone missing more than 70 times and often returned in stained clothes looking "awful".

And she told him police knew what was happening to her.

He said she said: "They know where I have been they know what's going on."

He told the trial today: "Under normal police protection she continued to be abused and assaulted. Which is something that defies belief."

Police refused to do DNA tests on clothing found in the child's room, the jury heard.

Her father said: "We believed there was something sinister going on.

"We were shocked and horrified they wouldn't take the clothing."

The man also criticised the children's home his daughter stayed at.

He said the manager had been "dismissed" after refusing to pay Girl 1's taxi fare so she was driven back to Oxford to be abused.

He said communication with the home was "poor", adding: "It wasn't a place we believed was particularly well run."

The man sobbed as he told the jury his daughter "rapidly" lost weight and came home smelly.

He said he would go out looking for her, taking a photograph of her and asking at cinemas, pubs, and nightclubs.

He said: "We didn't have a clue what was happening.

"All we knew was we were terrified because our child was missing, effectively disappearing off the face of the earth for days at a time."

But he said police told him to stop looking for his daughter in 2006 as it was "detrimental to her wellbeing".

The court also heard he found her bleeding and with cigarette burns.

He said: "She said it was none of our business.

"She used to say Dad you are better off not knowing."

He said once she said: "I'm not going to tell you anything because they threatened to kill my family."

The father said he believed someone was giving his daughter money as she spent a lot on mobile phone calls and bus tickets to Oxford.

And he said she would "panic" if she got a call on her phone- usually from withheld numbers.

He told the jury he found her with perfume.

He said: "I did tell her not everyone bearing gifts is going to be a friend, there are some bad people out there, and you have to be cautious you don't associate with them.

"I was fearful as why somebody would buy a child that."

He added: "For the first time in months she burst into tears.

"She sat there and said you wouldn't understand, you wouldn't understand Dad."

He said it was "heartbreaking" to put his daughter into care but the family had to keep her safe.

This afternoon the jury will hear from social workers who dealt with Girl 1.

The nine men on trial deny all 51 counts.

The trial continues.

The nine accused and charges are

The accused all deny the charges. They are:

  • Kamar Jamil, 27, of Aldrich Road, Summertown, Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and one of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
  • Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies six rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
  • Anjum Dogar, 30, <31 on Feb 17> of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
  • Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashhurst Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to rape and three of sexual activity with a child.
  • Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies seven rapes, four charges of conspiracy to rape, an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit sexual activity with a child, two of trafficking for sexual exploitation, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, assault, conspiracy to assault, using an instrument to procure a miscarriage, and supplying a Class A drug to another.
  • Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies three rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and conspiracy to assault.
  • Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, denies rape, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
  • Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
  • Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, denies conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and sexual activity with a child.