Man denies raping girl he allegedly groomed on Snapchat
BBCA man accused of raping a girl he allegedly groomed on Snapchat has told a court she agreed to have sex with him.
Mehrab Safi, 21, is accused of being the first of four men to rape a 17-year-old girl last year. He denies one count of human trafficking and two charges of rape.
Bristol Crown Court heard earlier that the girl was given cigarettes and vodka before being allegedly raped by Safi and his co-defendants, Awal Ahmadzai and Salman Habibkheil, both 19, and a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons.
When asked about his intentions while messaging the girl, Safi replied: "What any single and lonely person in this world wants – I was looking for love."
Warning: This story contains distressing details.
The court heard Safi swapped numbers with the girl when they met in Bristol city centre in November 2025.
Over the following days, Safi and the girl exchanged Snapchat messages before she sent him naked photos, the court heard.
Safi later arranged for a taxi for her to travel to his Bristol home in St Werburghs, where she went on to allegedly be raped by the four men.
Speaking through an interpreter, the Afghan national told jurors the girl agreed to have sex with him.
Asked about his intentions, Safi replied: "I have never seen the love and affection of my mother and father. What else would I want but a girl who has the love of her mother and father."
Safi said he had not asked for the naked photos and said he told her she was "crazy" for sending them.
"We both really liked each other and I really liked her," he said.
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The court heard the girl told police she thought she would at some point that night have sex with Safi, but not at that moment.
Asked by Jenny Tallentire, who is representing Safi, if he "pushed her to have sex", he replied, "never".
Tallentire asked: "The allegation is that she didn't want to have sex then but have sex later. Did she say that to you?"
Safi said: "If she said that to me, I wouldn't have had sex with her. Maybe there was a misunderstanding and someone made her understand incorrectly."
The victim was found by police after her mother reported her missing.
Officers arrested the 16-year-old defendant when he answered the door to the property, while the three older co-accused fled, the court heard.
Habibkheil, of Lockleaze, denies one count of human trafficking and one charge of rape.
Ahmadzai, of Redcliffe, denies one charge of rape and one of assault by penetration.
The 16-year-old boy also denies one charge of rape.
The court was previously told Safi, Habibkheil and Ahmadzai fled the UK in a lorry, but were stopped by French police and returned to the UK.
The trial continues.
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