Three men have been found guilty of raping girls in Plymouth.

Abalzaq Salih, 31, from Plymouth, was convicted of two counts of rape of a woman aged 15 or under. Saif Kahya, 32, from Liverpool, was found guilty of one count of rape of a woman aged 16 or under.

Anthony Anantharajah, 35, of London, was convicted of rape of a woman aged 16 years or older. He was found not guilty of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 15 years or younger.

The men were taken into custody and are due to be sentenced in September.

The men denied the charges and were convicted after a five-week trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the abuse came to light after a girl came forward and provided police with vital evidence after she BBC drama “Three Girls” which described a sensational investigation in Rochdale.

Plymouth’s commander, temporary commander Scott Bradley, said: “I would first like to commend the courage of the survivors in this case.

“Without their evidence and courage, we could not have achieved this result.

“Devon and Cornwall Police are committed to tackling violence against women and girls and targeting those who seek to exploit vulnerable people.

“The convictions are the result of years of hard work by a dedicated and professional team of officers and staff.

“Our message to other survivors of sexual abuse is that we are here to listen, work with you, support you and achieve justice.”

A fourth man, 45-year-old Moussa Ahmadou from Plymouth, was acquitted of sexually assaulting a woman.