Brothers sentenced over historical child sex abuse

A man nicknamed "Killer" and his two younger brothers have been sentenced nearly two decades after they sexually abused four children and a woman in Sheffield.

Amar Ilyas, 41, Kamran Ilyas, 38, and Kamar Ilyas, 39, were found guilty of offences carried out between 2004 and 2007 against girls as young as 12.

Amar, who fled to Pakistan before his trial, was found guilty of 20 offences against five victims, while Kamran and Kamar, 39, were found guilty of a total of five sexual offences against one of the girls.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Monday, Amar was sentenced in his absence to 27 years in prison, Kamar to 10 years and Kamran to three years.

The brothers were arrested in 2020 and charged in 2023 as part of the National Crime Agency's (NCA) Operation Stovewood, investigating sexual abuse in South Yorkshire.

According to the NCA, all three brothers were involved in the sexual abuse of a girl between 2004 and 2006 in Sheffield, when the victim was 12 to 14 years old.

The men were about 17 and 18 years old at the time.

Amar Ilyas raped and sexually assaulted four other girls, aged 13 to 18, at about the same time.

He used the nickname "Killer" and relied upon his reputation for violence to intimidate his victims.

In a victim impact statement, the woman who was abused by all three brothers said the trauma they had inflicted on her had "seeped into every corner of my life."

She described the nightmares as "relentless" and said flashbacks "hit without warning".

Another woman told the court: "I hope that now I can start to try and rebuild my life and show that I am stronger than you, better than you, kinder than you and have higher moral standards than you.

"I am a survivor. You [Amar Ilyas] are a coward who can't face the consequences of your own wrongdoing."

A third woman, who was around 13 years old when Amar Ilyas raped her while she slept at her friend's house, said the abuse "will never leave me" but that she was "finally taking back control".

A fourth woman, who was around 18 or 19 years old when Amar Ilyas raped her in an alleyway after seeing her alone in Sheffield, said: "You have ruined a big part of my life but you will never win, I won't let you."

Judge Peter Hampton described Amar Ilyas as a "determined and predatory sexual offender" and urged law enforcement to locate him.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

NCA's senior investigating officer Alan Hastings said: "The court heard loud and clear from the women how the Ilyas brothers inflicted devastating suffering upon them, suffering which affects them to this day.

"In each of the women's words, their bravery, strength and determination to survive shone through."

The NCA said officers were carrying out inquiries to locate and arrest Amar Ilyas.

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