"They were predators preying on children"
Jaswinder Singh was jailed for eight years for his role in a grooming gang that sexually exploited teenage girls in Rhyl, Wales, after one of his victims escaped from him during a trip to London.
The 61-year-old, who was born in Maidenhead and moved to North Wales in 2018, was one of five people jailed following a three-month child sexual exploitation trial at Caernarfon Crown Court.
Singh was convicted of conspiring to traffic two teenage girls and supplying them with cannabis. He was not charged with any sexual contact offences.
The former builder became involved with the group after being introduced to two of the victims by Mustafa Iqbal and Mohamed Usman Arshad.
Singh allowed Arshad to drive his car while they picked up Child B and Child C, who were aged 15 and 14 respectively, and drove them around Rhyl.
In April 2022, Singh persuaded Child B to travel with him to London by claiming she would be looking after his dog while he visited family and friends.
He also invited Child C to travel with them.
However, concerns were raised in London about Singh’s intentions towards the teenager. Child B subsequently fled from him with a friend, and police were contacted.
Singh was arrested in London on suspicion of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation and cannabis possession.
During the trial, Singh said he was living at council-run retirement accommodation at War Memorial Court in Rhyl at the time. He had lived there since 2020 after previously being “put in various hotels” by the local authority.
After his arrest, Singh was moved into homeless accommodation on River Street in Rhyl, where he remained until his final arrest in August 2025.
Denbighshire County Council said it was unaware of Singh’s first arrest in April 2022 when he was placed at the River Street property, which was used to accommodate children and adults.
There is no suggestion that Singh committed any criminal behaviour at the River Street property.
A Member of the Senedd representing Clwyd said he was “astonished” by the situation, while another Clwyd MS described it as “alarming”.
The case against Singh and his co-defendants was initially dropped by police in October 2022 before being reopened in September 2024.
His final arrest came during a series of raids across Rhyl in August 2025. Singh was arrested on River Street and charged before being remanded in custody within 48 hours.
Police had been investigating the wider group after three girls aged 14, 15 and 16 were sexually exploited in Rhyl.
The investigation centred on Iqbal, who was eventually convicted of 21 offences, including four rapes and three sexual assaults involving all three girls.
The court heard that Iqbal initially targeted Child B and Child C in Rhyl in April 2022 before taking them to his home, where they were later joined by Arshad and Ziaullah Badshah.
The girls claimed they were 17, and the men gave them cannabis before they played “spin the bottle”.
Badshah admitted kissing both girls and later having sex with Child B at his home. Arshad denied having a sexual relationship with Child B but was convicted of rape, after a sex act in an alleyway outside his former business, Zayn’s Coffee House.
The coffee house became a key connection between the grooming gang, who either worked there or met there. It had previously been voted the town’s business with the friendliest staff.
Iqbal also became involved with a third victim, Child A, who was 16.
He supplied her with cocaine in return for sex. An adult who knew Child A contacted police and in February 2024, Iqbal received a warning not to contact the victim.
However, he changed his phone, car and location, and switched locations of his subsequent sexual encounters with the victim, enlisting the help of Sarah Gray.
Concerns about Child A were later reported to police, prompting the wider investigation to be reopened.
The complex investigation involved North Wales Police analysing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, phone records and travel patterns.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Sidney, who led the inquiry, said: “This investigation was really complex,
“First of all we had the challenges of getting the accounts from the victims, they were really difficult accounts to give.
“They had to show real strength in doing that.
“Our focus as a team was getting justice for the victims and safeguarding the community,”
Investigators spent several weeks building trust with the three victims as they disclosed what had happened, with support from social services, Barnardo’s and the Hydrant Programme.
Detective Sergeant Keira Williams said: “I don’t think I could articulate how difficult it was for them,
“We just made sure we went at their pace; they were allowing us insight into what it was like to be the victim of an incredibly horrendous crime.
“The most we could do was be patient and allow them to give us their account in their own time.”
The offenders denied responsibility during the proceedings.
Iqbal gave police a no-comment interview and later refused to give evidence at his trial. Arshad presented himself as an established member of the Rhyl business community, while Badshah said he only discovered the girls’ ages after his arrest.
Singh portrayed himself as a jovial friend who enjoyed drinking and talking.
DCI Sidney added: “I think all the way through the investigation we saw victim-blaming language from the offenders.”
“It seemed they had no recollection or understanding of the harm they were causing to the victims.
“These were horrific offences over a prolonged period of time that really demonstrated how serious the offending was and exacerbated the impact on the victims.
“These men targeted these children, and I think they did that because they thought they could manipulate them easier, do things that adults wouldn’t do – that was for their own sexual gratification.
“They were predators preying on children – because they were children.
“There was a total disregard for their offending. There was a total disregard for their criminality.”
Child C continues to experience panic attacks and anxiety at the thought of returning to Rhyl. She also described the effect the abuse has had on her relationships as she has grown up.
In a victim impact statement, she said: “This has been the most traumatic experience I have ever faced.
“Although I feel that I have dealt with it well, I know that it is something I will never forget and will have to learn to live with.”
Iqbal was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of 21 offences, while Arshad received 19 years and Badshah was jailed for 17 years.
Singh was sentenced to eight years, while Gray received eight years after being convicted of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.
The court heard that Gray had helped Iqbal attempt to cover up the rapes of Child A at her home, which included washing bedsheets.
All four men were ordered to remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Judge Simon Mills described Iqbal as “devious and thoroughly manipulative” and said he remained an ongoing risk to the public, particularly young teenage girls.
A safeguarding review by the North Wales Safeguarding Board is due to examine how the group was able to operate and target vulnerable victims.
The review will also consider the actions of North Wales Police after an initial investigation into the exploitation began in 2022 but was discontinued.
The judge said he expected the circumstances surrounding the earlier investigation to be a focus for reflection.
North Wales Police said it hoped the case would reassure people in Rhyl and beyond.
