Six men have denied historical offences relating to alleged sexual abuse and rape of children as part of a grooming gang.
Nine men aged 54 to 76 were arrested in July as part of Gwent Police’s Operation Oak investigation into women’s reports of being sexually abused as children in the 1980s and 1990s.
The defendants, all British citizens, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, where six entered not guilty pleas.
All of the men were released on conditional bail, and a trial date for January 2028 was set by Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke. It is expected to last up to 20 weeks.
Those who entered pleas were:
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Shafaq Mohammed, 58, of Birmingham. He pleaded not guilty to six counts of rape, one of buggery without consent, two of aiding and abetting rape, and two of causing prostitution.
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Syed Mohammad Ashan Taqvi, 65, of Newport. He pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape.
