A 28-year-old shop worker who groomed and sexually exploited seven girls aged between 12 and 16 has been jailed for 29 years. Bawan Harwe used a false profile on social media to contact his victims, enticing them with offers of money and e-cigarettes before subjecting them to rape and other sexual offences.
The Iraqi national was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court, where Judge Sarah Wright told him: "The harm you have caused is of unimaginable proportions."
Co-defendant remains at large
His co-defendant, Sharam Muhamadi, who was convicted of helping facilitate the exploitation, failed to attend court and remains wanted by police. He will be sentenced at a later date, the BBC reported.
Following a four-week trial, Harwe was found guilty of eight rape offences, two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, two counts of false imprisonment and six counts of facilitating travel for exploitation. He had already admitted to raping a child under 13, creating indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography.
Targeted young girls with alcohol and drugs
The court heard Harwe worked in a convenience store in Hexthorpe and shared accommodation with others nearby. He told jurors he met Muhamadi while both were employed at local shops, and the pair later lived together.
Prosecutors said Harwe deliberately targeted young girls during 2024, supplying some with alcohol and drugs before sexually assaulting them. The youngest victim was 12 years old.
Judge Wright said the consequences of his offending had been devastating. "The impact of your offending upon the victims, their families and indeed the wider community has been devastating," she said. "Their childhood and adolescence can never be reclaimed."
Victims left intoxicated and unable to defend themselves
The court heard Harwe raped two 14-year-old girls after giving them alcohol and drugs at his home. One of the victims became so intoxicated that she was unable to stand and struggled to see.
Another 14-year-old girl told jurors she witnessed Harwe attacking a friend who had fallen unconscious after drinking. She said he then prevented them from leaving until she agreed to his demands.
"She did everything she possibly could to try and help her friend and was so concerned for her welfare that eventually she gave in to your demands," Judge Wright said. "You raped her although she repeatedly told you to stop. She was crying and you hit her."
Harwe was ordered to serve 29 years in prison, followed by an additional three years on licence.
Manhunt for co-defendant
Muhamadi, 21, was convicted of two counts of arranging or facilitating travel for exploitation. He was acquitted of two further counts of the same offence and a rape charge, while a sexual assault allegation also resulted in a not guilty verdict.
However, he absconded before the conclusion of the trial and was convicted in his absence. A warrant has since been issued for his arrest.
South Yorkshire Police said Muhamadi had initially been remanded in custody before later being granted bail. A £19,000 surety was lodged as part of the bail conditions, which Judge Wright ordered to be forfeited after he failed to appear.
The court heard Muhamadi arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child and was placed in the care of social services in Bradford. He applied for asylum in 2021 aged 16 and was granted leave to remain the following year, with his immigration status due to be reviewed in 2027. He later moved to Doncaster and found work in a local shop.
A police spokesperson said: "A manhunt is currently under way to locate 21-year-old Sharam Muhamadi and we will not stop until we find him. Our officers have been working relentlessly, exploring every single line of inquiry with determination to secure justice for the victims."
