Court was told imam was often alone with victims

CCTV footage of Khan in the mosque with the boy he raped formed part of the evidence shown to jurors.

The footage showed the pair move into areas which weren't covered by the cameras.

At one point the boy was seen to massage Khan's shoulders.

Khan claimed this was an "act of respect" in the Muslim culture.

Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting, said during the trial: "The defendant would request the boy to lay out his prayer mat in a different part of the mosque.

"That is when the remaining prayer would be completed individually.

"The boy seems to suggest that usually the defendant would take him through a door marked 'private'."

The second boy, who was the victim of the sexual activity, had gone round to help Khan pack as he was moving house when the offence took place.

But instead he said Khan had sexually assaulted him.

Khan, who has five children aged three, 13, 14, 17 and 20, by two wives, said nothing sexual ever took place between him and the victims.

Khan said that the boys' families were concerned about their behaviour and had asked him for help.

Khan said he had talked to a relative of one teenager about sending them to Pakistan.

He claimed that was why the allegations were made against him.

During the trial, Khan was asked if he found it difficult when he first arrived in Tunstall with his wife, who is white and originally non-Muslim.

Khan said: "There were occasions when remarks were made, when there were undertones in conversations and passing whispers.

"I had an arranged marriage when I was young and it didn't work out.

"Then I met my second wife with whom I have a young son.

"It took people a while to get used to somebody new coming in with different ideas."

Khan was asked if he watched pornography, to which he replied: "Yes with my wife, but it's a private thing."

The court heard how Khan had become close to the families of the two boys.

In giving evidence, one of the boys said: "He's (Khan) a big person. My family would die for him.

"Everybody trusts him that much.

"He's got powers."

The boy said that on the last occasion he was raped at the mosque, Khan told him: "I'm going to take you somewhere else and do it to you specially."

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