Bristol Operation Sees Seven Men Charged in Major Child Sexual Exploitation Case

An extensive investigation into group-based child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the Bristol area has resulted in charges being filed against seven men. The individuals collectively face more than 40 serious offences targeting 11 teenage victims, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed.

The police force indicated that the offences allegedly occurred between 2022 and 2025. The victims involved were all in their mid to late teens at the time of the alleged crimes.

The accused are a mix of nationalities, including two Syrian, one Iranian, and two British men, with two further suspects whose identities are currently legally protected. The five named individuals, all residents of Bristol, are Mohamed Arafe, 19; Hussain Bashar, 19; Mohammed Kurdi, 21; Wadie Sharaf, 21; and Sina Omari, 20.

They were scheduled to appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court this Wednesday morning, alongside the two unnamed defendants, aged 19 and 26.

The charges follow a thorough police operation that was initiated in November 2023, after authorities received information raising concerns about the sexual exploitation of a teenage girl, leading to the wider case being uncovered.