A 20-YEAR-OLD man has denied being “the leader” of a group accused of child sexual exploitation in Banbury.

Yesterday Ahmed Hassan-Sule continued giving evidence in Oxford Crown Court, as one of seven men alleged to have groomed eight teenage girls between 2011 and 2013.

Prosecution barrister Stuart Trimmer QC alleged Hassan-Sule was a member of a group known locally as ‘BB or B2’ which organised parties for under-18s to target their victims. He is on trial with Said Saleh, 20, of Orchard Way; Mohamed Saleh, 21, of Orchard Way; Takudzwa Hova, 21, of Broughton Road; Kagiso Manase, 26, of Warwick Road; Alexandru Nae, 19, of Broome Way; and a 17-year-old who cannot be named.

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They deny 26 charges, including 19 counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault.

Cross examining Hassan-Sule, of Glyndebourne Gardens, yesterday Mr Trimmer said: “You were the leader of this group and you procured girls for them.”

The witness replied: “No, we were all just friends. That was my crazy life. We were just messing around and joking.”

Mr Trimmer said: “It was having sex with anybody and everybody who was prepared to do it.”

Hassan-Sule told him: “I wasn’t forcing sex on anybody.” The trial continues.

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