SEVERAL men accused of a catalogue of child sex offences have appeared in court.

The 17 men were arrested after dawn raids in Oxford and Banbury last month as part of Operation Nautical, a police inquiry into child sexual exploitation.

Shabir Dogar, 23, of Bertie Place, Oxford, Shabaz Khan, 23, of Cosin Close, Oxford, and Joseph Suraina, 22, of Marlborough Close, Oxford, appeared at Oxford Crown Court via video link from HMP Bullingdon yesterday morning.

They were followed by Shohab Dogar, 23, of Tawney Street, Oxford, Yasin Hamid, 20, of Moorbank, Oxford, and Usman Iddris, 22, of Northway, Headington, who all also appeared via video link from the Bicester prison.

The court was told the men had to be split into groups to fit into the video link room.

All six, who were remanded into custody, are due to enter pleas at the court on July 7 and a provisional trial date was set for September 11.

In the afternoon, 11 men appeared. Qamran Hafiz, 24, of Danesmoor, Banbury, Atiq Hussain, 23, of Avenue Road, Banbury, Tafail Mohammed, 23, of East Close, Banbury and Marcelo Suarez, 20, of Hillside Close, Banbury, Leon Cole, 19, of Alma Road, Banbury, Ahsan Raza, 19, of Churchill Road, Birmingham, Abdul Safraz, 31, of Deacon Way, Banbury, Nasser Younis, 37, of Sandford Green, Banbury, and Atique Akhtar, 23, and Aamir Arfi, 23, of no fixed abode.

A further man Waqas Hussain, 24, of no fixed abode, appeared via video link.

The 11 men, who are expected to enter their pleas on July 14, were told a provisional trial date had been set for January 2. Only Suarez was released on bail.  

At an earlier hearing, Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard Shabir Dogar had been charged with three counts of conspiracy to rape a girl, rape of a girl, causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault of a girl.

Khan was charged with three counts of conspiracy to rape a girl, two counts of rape of a girl, aiding and abetting rape of a girl and engaging in sexual activity with a girl, while Suraina was charged with three counts of conspiracy to rape a girl.

Shohab Dogar was charged with three counts of conspiracy to rape a girl, five counts of rape of a girl, seven counts of aiding and abetting rape of a girl and two counts of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Hamid was charged with three counts of conspiracy to rape a girl and two counts of rape of a girl, while Iddris was charged with three counts of conspiracy to rape a girl and rape of a girl.

Hafiz was charged with 11 counts of rape of a girl and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, while Ateeq Hussain was charged with five counts of rape of a girl and two of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Mohammed was charged with rape of a girl, and Suarez was charged with rape of a woman.

Cole was charged with two counts of rape of a girl, rape of a woman, two counts of aiding and abetting to procure the rape of a girl, false imprisonment, intimidating a witness and sexual assault.

Raza was charged with four counts of rape of a girl, false imprisonment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Sarfraz was charged with three counts of rape of a girl, while Younis, was charged with six counts of rape of a girl and taking an indecent photograph of a child.

Arfi was charged with six counts of rape of a girl and causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and Akhtar was charged with four counts of rape of a girl.

Waqas Hussain was charged with attempted sexual assault of a girl, inciting a girl into sexual activity, two counts of rape of girl and sexual assault of a girl.  

The charges, which were not put to the men at court, relate to three alleged victims between 2008 and 2015.