Six men have denied being part of a grooming gang accused of raping and sexually abusing children in South Wales for more than a decade. Nine men, aged between 54 and 76, were arrested in July as part of an investigation into allegations of abuse against victims between 1985 and 1996. The defendants, who are all British citizens, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, where six entered not guilty pleas to a series of historical sexual offences. All nine men were granted conditional bail ahead of a trial due to begin in January 2028.The hearing is predicted to last between 16 and 20 weeks. Shafaq Mohammed, 58, of Birmingham, denied six counts of rape, one count of buggery without consent, two counts of aiding and abetting rape, and two counts of causing prostitution. His self-defined ethnicity is Asian Pakistani.Syed Mohammad Ashan Taqvi, 65, of Newport, denied four counts of rape. His self-defined ethnicity is Asian Pakistani.Mohammed Sheikh Abdul Hannan, 54, of Edinburgh, denied one count of indecent assault, two counts of rape, three counts of aiding and abetting rape, and one count of conspiracy to rape. His self-defined ethnicity is British Bangladeshi. Murad Ali, 57, of Swansea, denied two counts of rape (Pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court on Friday) Sheikh Mohammed Tahir Ullah, 73, of Newport, who has been charged with one count of raping a female aged 16 years or over and one count of raping a female under 16 (Pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court on Friday) Aminur Rahman Choudhury, 58, of Tottenham, north London, denied one count of rape (Pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court on Friday)Kevin Lawrence, 54, of Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, denied one count of conspiracy to rape and one count of causing prostitution. His self-defined ethnicity is white European.Aminur Rahman Choudhury, 58, of Tottenham, north London, denied one count of rape. His self-defined ethnicity is Asian Bangladeshi.Murad Ali, 57, of Swansea, denied two counts of rape. His self-defined ethnicity is Asian Pakistani.Three other defendants are due to enter pleas at a later date. Sheikh Mohammed Tahir Ullah, 73, of Newport, who has been charged with one count of raping a female aged 16 years or over and one count of raping a female under 16. His self-defined ethnicity is Asian Bangladeshi.Mohammed Ramzan, 76, of Newport, who has been charged with two counts of raping a female under 16, three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16, one count of causing the prostitution of a girl under 16, and one count of conspiring to rape a girl under 16. His self-defined ethnicity is Asian Pakistani.Shakeel Babur, 58, of Nelson, Lancashire, who has been charged with four counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16. His self-defined ethnicity is British Pakistani.The case will be held before Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff. Kevin Lawrence, 54, of Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, denied one count of conspiracy to rape and one count of causing prostitution (Pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court on Friday) Mohammed Sheikh Abdul Hannan, 54, of Edinburgh , denied one count of indecent assault, two counts of rape, three counts of aiding and abetting rape, and one count of conspiracy to rape (Pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court on Friday) Shafaq Mohammed, 58, of Birmingham , denied six counts of rape, one count of buggery without consent, two counts of aiding and abetting rape, and two counts of causing prostitution (Pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court on Friday)The investigation, known as Operation Oak, has been described by Gwent Police as a 'complex and long-running investigation into group-based child sexual exploitation in South Wales'. Detective chief superintendent Andrew Tuck previously said: 'It is vital for the victims in this case, and for the integrity of the investigation, that nothing is posted on social media that could affect the court proceedings.'Anyone who reports child abuse will be taken seriously. We urge anyone who has experienced abuse, or who is concerned that someone may be suffering, to come forward. 'We will listen, investigate all offences and make sure you can access the help and support you need.'