A Chadwell Heath man was part of an east London child prostitution ring that preyed on vulnerable teenage girls from a care home, a court heard today.

Nabeel Ahmed, 24, of Chadwell Heath Lane, is on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court with four other men.

He denies raping two girls last year. One, aged 17, was allegedly working for Nabeel’s friend as a child prostitute.

Prosecutor Kate Bex said he attacked the girl with two other men at Park Hotel, in Cranbrook Road, Ilford.

Ms Bex told the jury Nabeel raped the girl while her alleged pimp Naeem Ahmed, who is not a relation, held her down.

Nabeel’s brother, Jameel Ahmed, of Neville Road, Dagenham, raped the girl immediately afterwards, she said.

Ms Bex said the alleged victim had been coerced into prostitution by Naeem, of Westminster Gardens, Barking, who she had met while living in a care home.

She added: “The men concerned in the grooming of such young people prey on [their emotional vulnerability] – they are fully aware that they have been starved of affection and use this as a way to feed their own criminal means.”

Nabeel lured his second victim into his car by offering her a lift after seeing her argue with a friend, the court heard.

The 18-year-old, who had no money and could not use her phone, was taken to a house in Chadwell Heath and allegedly raped first by Naeem, then by Nabeel.

Ms Bex told the jury: “She cried louder and louder hoping that someone would come to help her but that just caused [Nabeel] to put his hand over her mouth to shut her up.”

Nabeel is charged with three counts of rape and his brother Jameel Ahmed, 25, denies two.

They were allegedly part of a group of five friends that preyed on six girls between the ages of 15 and 18 between October 2011 and December.

Naeem, 25, of Westminster Gardens, Barking, denies five counts of rape against two victims, controlling child prostitution, paying for the sexual services of a child, inciting child prostitution and causing prostitution for a gain.

Anas Iqbal, 25, of Newham Way, East Ham, denies five counts of rape against one alleged victim, one of attempted rape against another and paying for the sexual services of a child.

Hassan Raza, 23, also of Westminster Gardens, Barking, denies a single count of sexual assault.

The trial continues.