A man who mercilessly frightened young girls in Sheffield by raping vulnerable victims as young as 12 has fled to Pakistan. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison in absentia.
Recently, his brothers faced court charges and received jail sentences for sexually abusing a victim who was between 12 and 14 years old when they exploited her. Kamar Ilyas was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Kamran Ilyas received a three-year sentence.
Their elder brother, Amar Ilyas, known as “Killer,” used intimidation tactics including a firearm and threats of gang rape to control the girls he abused nearly two decades ago. The judge overseeing the case is urging authorities to take all possible actions to extradite him back to the UK to serve his 27-year prison term after he fled to Pakistan.
Judge Hampton criticized Amar Ilyas for fleeing, labeling it as a cowardly act. He highlighted that despite trying to influence the proceedings from abroad through his legal counsel, Amar was avoiding facing justice in a different jurisdiction.
Amar Ilyas, aged 41, was found guilty of 20 offenses, including rape against five victims. Kamar Ilyas, aged 39, was convicted of raping a child under 13 and engaging in sexual activities with a child. Kamran Ilyas, aged 38, was convicted of sexual activities with a child.
The trio, all from Sheffield, were apprehended in 2020 and formally charged in 2023 following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The NCA’s Operation Stovewood team, dedicated to probing systemic child sexual abuse and grooming in Rotherham, made contact with a potential victim in 2018. The victim, now in her 30s, disclosed being groomed and assaulted by Kamar between 2004 and 2008, followed by further abuse by Amar and Kamran at various locations in Sheffield.
During the trial, it was revealed that when Kamar was 17-18 years old, he coerced a 12-year-old victim into meeting him at different locations in Sheffield where he subjected her to sexual abuse and rape.
Kamar then introduced the girl to his brother, Amar, who reportedly raped her weekly for three years, instilling fear by showing her a handgun he kept in his car.
Investigations unveiled four additional women who testified to being victimized by Amar during their teenage or young adult years. Testimonies revealed Amar’s use of threats, including gang rape intimidation, and physical violence like biting and brandishing a spanner during an assault in a vehicle.
Judge Hampton condemned the defendants, emphasizing the targeted sexual exploitation and violent acts inflicted upon their victims.
Several victims shared impact statements in court, with one expressing how the men robbed her of her childhood, shaping her life thereafter. Another victim stressed that no child should endure what she experienced, while a third victim labeled herself a survivor and called the perpetrators cowards. A fourth complainant expressed a desire for the perpetrators to face consequences for their actions.
Over 50 individuals have been convicted as a result of Operation Stovewood investigations, recognized as the UK’s most extensive law enforcement operation in this domain.
Operation Stovewood has identified over 1,100 children subjected to exploitation between 1997 and 2013, with estimated costs totaling approximately £90 million.
