Latest Offenders

Description

Chewe Chitalu raped a young woman on her way home from a night out in Preston. Yesterday, he was jailed for 13 years.

In August 2022, the victim was on a night out in Preston. At some point in the evening, she was walked to Chitalu’s (pictured below) van, where she was sexually assaulted. The victim later woke up in Chitalu’s bedroom, where she was raped.

The offences were reported to us, and an investigation commenced.

Chitalu, 32, of Mountbatten Close, Preston was arrested on suspicion of, and later charged with rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

He was found guilty following a trial and was sentenced to 13 years. Chitalu was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A 45-year-old man has been jailed after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a child.

Giedrius Arcisauscas from Downing Close in Ellesmere Port appeared at Chester Crown Court on 22 April for a four-day trial. He was found guilty on 25 April of sexual assault of a girl under 13, sexual assault of a girl under 13 by penetration, and three counts of making an indecent image/pseudo image of a child.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Chester Crown Court on 12 June where he was sentenced to 13 years in prison and one year on licence.

He was handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard how on 27 February a mother and daughter attended his address for a party.

At one point Arcisauscas was upstairs in a bedroom with three children when two left the room leaving him alone with the victim, who was four at the time.

The mother heard a scream and went to the aid of her daughter who told her what had happened. She found Arcisauscas in the bedroom and slapped him before leaving.

It was reported to police and Arcisauscas was arrested. His mobile phone was seized and officers subsequently found six indecent images of children. He was arrested again regarding the images found on his phone.

Description

A paedophile who is banned from every park in Swansea was seen by an eagle-eyed off-duty policeman sitting in a popular park near to where children were playing, a court has heard.

Tyrone Harding had only been out of prison for a matter of days following his last conviction when he was spotted by the officer who was walking his dog.

Swansea Crown Court heard Harding has been consistently committing sexual offences over and refusing to abide by conditions imposed on him over the last decade.

The defendant refused to attend the sentencing hearing - having similarity refused to attend a previous hearing - and a judge said his "distain and contempt" for the court would be reflected in the sentence.

Ryan Bowen, prosecuting, told the court that in December 2018 Harding was jailed and made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) after approaching girls in Swansea's Hafod Park and exposing himself to them and asking them for oral sex.

One of the conditions of the SHPO is that he is banned from entering any public park or recreational area in the city and county of Swansea.

The court heard that on May 6 this year the defendant was released from HMP Usk in Monmouthshire after serving his last period of custody - that sentence had been imposed the previous November after he was caught in Swansea Library in breach of another condition of his SHPO.

As was required by the requirements of the sex offenders register Harding should have notified police of his post-release address but he did not, and his whereabouts were therefore unknown.

The prosecutor said on May 11 an off-duty police officer who was walking his dog in Swansea's Brynmill Park saw Harding sitting on a bench near the park's kiosk and The Hide community centre.

He said the defendant was seen to be drinking from a can and that from the bench he would have had a clear view of children playing nearby.

The court heard that the dog-walking detective chief inspector recognised Harding immediately as he was familiar with the defendant's background, and he reported the sighting on 999.

Before officers arrived at the scene the 46-year-old defendant left the park and walked up Knoll Avenue and onto Sketty Road where he was located and arrested. Harding answered "no comment" to all questions asked in his subsequent interview

Tyrone Harding, formerly of Jeffrey's Court, Penlan, Swansea, but now of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to beaching a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with the terms of the sex offenders register when the case came to be sentenced.

The defendant refused to attend the hearing as he had done when the case was previously listed in June 1. On that earlier occasion the hearing was adjourned to give Harding the opportunity to attend.

The court heard Harding has 16 previous convictions for 33 offences between April 1998 and November 2024. His first sexual offending was in July 2015 when he was given a community order for an offence of exposure.

He has further convictions for exposure -many committed in parks or near school - in December 2015, June 2017, and December 2018. It was after the Hafod Park offending in 2018 that Harding was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Harding also has convictions for failing to comply with the requirements of the sex offenders register in October 2020, November 2022, April 2023, September 2023 and April 2024.

The 2024 offending saw Harding turning off his mobile phone, stopping reporting to the police station, and disappearing for five weeks from the Oystermouth Road hotel where he was living.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison for that matter. After being released from that sentence the defendant was found in Swansea Library on October 8 - as part of his SHPO he is banned from going without 100metres of any school of education establishment which children attend - and the following month was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was released from that sentence on May 6 this year and was found in Brynmill Park five days later.

Dan Griffiths, for Harding, said it was apparent from his dealings with the defendant that he was an intelligent man who was aware of the requirements he is subject to, and he said it was clear that, historically, the defendant has had a poor relationship with those whose job it is to manage him in the community.

He said the defendant was homeless and was stuck in a cycle of offending, and he said the reality was "There is nothing in the community for him".

He added that Harding had provided instructions to a colleague at his appearance at Swansea Magistrates' Court that he was in the park to use the toilets.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said Harding had shown an "utter determination" to defy the restrictions placed on him, and had repeatedly offended over the years. He said the "distain and contempt" Harding had shown to the court and the justice system would be reflected in his sentence, and he asked the defendant's advocate to convey that fact to his client.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Harding was sentenced to 16 months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Description

A Maidstone sex offender who slammed a teenager’s head against a parked van and sexually assaulted her has been jailed.

Ryan Perrins was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment after he supplied a vulnerable girl with cannabis and sexually abused her for ‘payment’.

He will be subject to a restraining order for 10 years following his release.

For around seven months, up until October 2023, Perrins carried out a sustained campaign of abuse against his victim.

The young girl made attempts to break contact with him on numerous occasions. This resulted in the offender violently assaulting her – including one occasion when he forced her head into the side of a van – and bombarding her with 59 calls in just 12 hours.

Perrins was arrested on 31 January 2024 and later charged with possession of cannabis, assault, and sex offences.

He pleaded guilty to the drugs offence and assault when he appeared before Maidstone Crown Court on 16 December 2024 but denied four counts of sexual activity with a child.

Following a trial, Perrins, 35, of Heathorn Street, was found guilty of all charges and was sentenced at the same court on 6 June 2025.

Description

Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale.

Members:

• Mohammed Zahid
• Kasir Bashir
• Mushtaq Ahmed
• Roheez Khan
• Mohammed Shahzad
• Nisar Hussain
• Naheem Akram

Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.

One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that she was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.

Their trial was told that she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted - including on rancid mattresses, in car parks and alleyways.

Both victims were given drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by the men involved, the court heard. They were also introduced to taxi drivers for sexual exploitation.

The seven men found guilty, all of whom denied any wrongdoing, include:

• Father-of-three Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. He was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in his absence - and is now wanted. He was found guilty of four offences, including rape and indecency with a child.
• Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.
• Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one offence of rape.
• Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.
• Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, was guilty of three offences, including rape and assault by penetration.
• Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, is guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Zahid - known as Boss Man - offered the victims free lingerie from his market stall, in exchange for money, food, and sex with him and his friends.

The trial lasted around four months, with jurors delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday, after three weeks of deliberations.

32 offenders have been jailed for a combined 300 years, Greater Manchester police has said, as part of two major investigations in the past decade.

An additional 20 men are due on trial - with their next court date set for September 2025.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock - the senior investigating officer on the case - has said that his investigators spent "thousands of hours" on the "complex" case.

He paid tribute to the two survivors.

"They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a four-month trial. Without them this would not be possible, and today is about them."

Detective Laycock also said the seven men "preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain."

He added: "The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case.

"They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls, and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later."

Description

Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, guilty of three offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale.

Members:

• Mohammed Zahid
• Kasir Bashir
• Mushtaq Ahmed
• Roheez Khan
• Mohammed Shahzad
• Nisar Hussain
• Naheem Akram

Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.

One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that she was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.

Their trial was told that she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted - including on rancid mattresses, in car parks and alleyways.

Both victims were given drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by the men involved, the court heard. They were also introduced to taxi drivers for sexual exploitation.

The seven men found guilty, all of whom denied any wrongdoing, include:

• Father-of-three Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. He was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in his absence - and is now wanted. He was found guilty of four offences, including rape and indecency with a child.
• Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.
• Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one offence of rape.
• Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.
• Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, was guilty of three offences, including rape and assault by penetration.
• Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, is guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Zahid - known as Boss Man - offered the victims free lingerie from his market stall, in exchange for money, food, and sex with him and his friends.

The trial lasted around four months, with jurors delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday, after three weeks of deliberations.

32 offenders have been jailed for a combined 300 years, Greater Manchester police has said, as part of two major investigations in the past decade.

An additional 20 men are due on trial - with their next court date set for September 2025.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock - the senior investigating officer on the case - has said that his investigators spent "thousands of hours" on the "complex" case.

He paid tribute to the two survivors.

"They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a four-month trial. Without them this would not be possible, and today is about them."

Detective Laycock also said the seven men "preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain."

He added: "The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case.

"They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls, and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later."

Description

Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale.

Members:

• Mohammed Zahid
• Kasir Bashir
• Mushtaq Ahmed
• Roheez Khan
• Mohammed Shahzad
• Nisar Hussain
• Naheem Akram

Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.

One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that she was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.

Their trial was told that she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted - including on rancid mattresses, in car parks and alleyways.

Both victims were given drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by the men involved, the court heard. They were also introduced to taxi drivers for sexual exploitation.

The seven men found guilty, all of whom denied any wrongdoing, include:

• Father-of-three Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. He was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in his absence - and is now wanted. He was found guilty of four offences, including rape and indecency with a child.
• Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.
• Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one offence of rape.
• Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.
• Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, was guilty of three offences, including rape and assault by penetration.
• Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, is guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Zahid - known as Boss Man - offered the victims free lingerie from his market stall, in exchange for money, food, and sex with him and his friends.

The trial lasted around four months, with jurors delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday, after three weeks of deliberations.

32 offenders have been jailed for a combined 300 years, Greater Manchester police has said, as part of two major investigations in the past decade.

An additional 20 men are due on trial - with their next court date set for September 2025.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock - the senior investigating officer on the case - has said that his investigators spent "thousands of hours" on the "complex" case.

He paid tribute to the two survivors.

"They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a four-month trial. Without them this would not be possible, and today is about them."

Detective Laycock also said the seven men "preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain."

He added: "The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case.

"They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls, and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later."

Description

Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, guilty of one offence of rape.

Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale.

Members:

• Mohammed Zahid
• Kasir Bashir
• Mushtaq Ahmed
• Roheez Khan
• Mohammed Shahzad
• Nisar Hussain
• Naheem Akram

Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.

One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that she was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.

Their trial was told that she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted - including on rancid mattresses, in car parks and alleyways.

Both victims were given drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by the men involved, the court heard. They were also introduced to taxi drivers for sexual exploitation.

The seven men found guilty, all of whom denied any wrongdoing, include:

• Father-of-three Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. He was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in his absence - and is now wanted. He was found guilty of four offences, including rape and indecency with a child.
• Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.
• Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one offence of rape.
• Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.
• Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, was guilty of three offences, including rape and assault by penetration.
• Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, is guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Zahid - known as Boss Man - offered the victims free lingerie from his market stall, in exchange for money, food, and sex with him and his friends.

The trial lasted around four months, with jurors delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday, after three weeks of deliberations.

32 offenders have been jailed for a combined 300 years, Greater Manchester police has said, as part of two major investigations in the past decade.

An additional 20 men are due on trial - with their next court date set for September 2025.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock - the senior investigating officer on the case - has said that his investigators spent "thousands of hours" on the "complex" case.

He paid tribute to the two survivors.

"They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a four-month trial. Without them this would not be possible, and today is about them."

Detective Laycock also said the seven men "preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain."

He added: "The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case.

"They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls, and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later."

Description

Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.

Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale.

Members:

• Mohammed Zahid
• Kasir Bashir
• Mushtaq Ahmed
• Roheez Khan
• Mohammed Shahzad
• Nisar Hussain
• Naheem Akram

Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.

One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that she was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.

Their trial was told that she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted - including on rancid mattresses, in car parks and alleyways.

Both victims were given drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by the men involved, the court heard. They were also introduced to taxi drivers for sexual exploitation.

The seven men found guilty, all of whom denied any wrongdoing, include:

• Father-of-three Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. He was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in his absence - and is now wanted. He was found guilty of four offences, including rape and indecency with a child.
• Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.
• Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one offence of rape.
• Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.
• Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, was guilty of three offences, including rape and assault by penetration.
• Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, is guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Zahid - known as Boss Man - offered the victims free lingerie from his market stall, in exchange for money, food, and sex with him and his friends.

The trial lasted around four months, with jurors delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday, after three weeks of deliberations.

32 offenders have been jailed for a combined 300 years, Greater Manchester police has said, as part of two major investigations in the past decade.

An additional 20 men are due on trial - with their next court date set for September 2025.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock - the senior investigating officer on the case - has said that his investigators spent "thousands of hours" on the "complex" case.

He paid tribute to the two survivors.

"They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a four-month trial. Without them this would not be possible, and today is about them."

Detective Laycock also said the seven men "preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain."

He added: "The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case.

"They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls, and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later."

Description

Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, guilty of four offences including rape and indecency with a child.

Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale.

Members:

• Mohammed Zahid
• Kasir Bashir
• Mushtaq Ahmed
• Roheez Khan
• Mohammed Shahzad
• Nisar Hussain
• Naheem Akram

Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.

One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that she was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.

Their trial was told that she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted - including on rancid mattresses, in car parks and alleyways.

Both victims were given drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by the men involved, the court heard. They were also introduced to taxi drivers for sexual exploitation.

The seven men found guilty, all of whom denied any wrongdoing, include:

• Father-of-three Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. He was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in his absence - and is now wanted. He was found guilty of four offences, including rape and indecency with a child.
• Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.
• Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one offence of rape.
• Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.
• Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, was guilty of three offences, including rape and assault by penetration.
• Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, is guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Zahid - known as Boss Man - offered the victims free lingerie from his market stall, in exchange for money, food, and sex with him and his friends.

The trial lasted around four months, with jurors delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday, after three weeks of deliberations.

32 offenders have been jailed for a combined 300 years, Greater Manchester police has said, as part of two major investigations in the past decade.

An additional 20 men are due on trial - with their next court date set for September 2025.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock - the senior investigating officer on the case - has said that his investigators spent "thousands of hours" on the "complex" case.

He paid tribute to the two survivors.

"They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a four-month trial. Without them this would not be possible, and today is about them."

Detective Laycock also said the seven men "preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain."

He added: "The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case.

"They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls, and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later."

Description

Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.

Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale.

Members:

• Mohammed Zahid
• Kasir Bashir
• Mushtaq Ahmed
• Roheez Khan
• Mohammed Shahzad
• Nisar Hussain
• Naheem Akram

Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.

One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that she was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.

Their trial was told that she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted - including on rancid mattresses, in car parks and alleyways.

Both victims were given drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes by the men involved, the court heard. They were also introduced to taxi drivers for sexual exploitation.

The seven men found guilty, all of whom denied any wrongdoing, include:

• Father-of-three Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. He was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse.
• Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, was convicted in his absence - and is now wanted. He was found guilty of four offences, including rape and indecency with a child.
• Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child.
• Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one offence of rape.
• Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration.
• Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale, was guilty of three offences, including rape and assault by penetration.
• Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale, is guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.

Zahid - known as Boss Man - offered the victims free lingerie from his market stall, in exchange for money, food, and sex with him and his friends.

The trial lasted around four months, with jurors delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday, after three weeks of deliberations.

32 offenders have been jailed for a combined 300 years, Greater Manchester police has said, as part of two major investigations in the past decade.

An additional 20 men are due on trial - with their next court date set for September 2025.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock - the senior investigating officer on the case - has said that his investigators spent "thousands of hours" on the "complex" case.

He paid tribute to the two survivors.

"They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a four-month trial. Without them this would not be possible, and today is about them."

Detective Laycock also said the seven men "preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain."

He added: "The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case.

"They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls, and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later."

Description

A Birmingham paedophile has been jailed for a total of more than 17 years for child sex offences.

James Shand, 57, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, June 2.

He was convicted on 12 counts but pleaded guilty to only five.

The counts were as follows:

• Count 1: Sexual assault on a female
• Count 2: Engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child 13 to 15 - offender 18 or over (seven months imprisonment)
• Count 3: Sexual assault on a female (seven months imprisonment)
• Count 4: Sexual assault on a female (15 months imprisonment, consecutive)
• Count 5: Cause/Incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration (five years and three months imprisonment)
• Count 6: Cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration (16 years comprising of 12 years imprisonment extended by 4 years licence extension)
• Count 7: Cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity – no Penetration (four years and six months imprisonment)
• Count 8: Sexual assault on a female (two years and six months)
• Count 9: Cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration (five years imprisonment)
• Count 10: Engage in sexual activity in presence of a child 13 to 15 - offender 18 or over (17 months imprisonment)
• Count 11: Assault a girl under 13 by touching - SOA 2003
• Count 12 - Engage in sexual activity in presence of a child 13 to 15 – offender 18 or over (17 months imprisonment)

Shand, of Woodgate Lane, Birmingham, was sentenced to a total of 17 years and three months - 16 years and a consecutive sentence of 15 months, both for causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He will be entered on the Sexual Offender Register for life and "may be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults", according to the court.

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A man has been jailed after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in Chester city centre.

Gurpreet Sahota was found guilty of one count of sexual assault following a  trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded earlier today, Thursday 12 June.

The 30-year-old, of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. He is also required to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

The court heard that shortly after 2am on Sunday 8 December 2024, the victim, a 22-year-old woman, was walking home alone after finishing her shift at work.

As she walked towards the Fountains Roundabout, she was approached by Sahota who told her, “You shouldn’t walk home alone”.

Despite reassuring Sahota that she was OK, he continued to follow her as she walked down the ramp to go into the subway.

Sahota then placed his hand down the victim’s trousers and touched her inappropriately. The victim initially froze, before regaining her composure and fleeing the scene to seek help from two passers-by.

Sahota subsequently walked away from the scene.

The incident was reported to Cheshire Police and an investigation was launched by detectives at Chester CID.

Following extensive enquiries, including extensive CCTV and mobile phone analysis, Sahota was identified as the suspect and arrested at a nearby pub where he had been residing while working as a decorator.

During interview Sahota admitted that he was the person in the footage, but denied touching her, instead stating that he had maintained a safe distance of 60cm.

Following the guilty verdict, Detective Constable Barbara Billington said:

“I would like to recognise the bravery the victim has shown throughout this investigation and subsequent court proceedings. 

"Everyone has the right to feel safe in public.Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been through, and I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide her with some closure and help her recover from what she has been through.

 “Sahota chose to take advantage of a woman while she was alone, and without her consent. Instead of admitting his guilt, he chose to put her through an extremely traumatic trial, where she had to relive the impact of his crime.

“Detectives worked non-stop to identify Sahota, he had no links to Chester. Large amounts CCTV footage were reviewed to identify him and we were then able to track his movements.  Thanks to the officers involved in this complex case, along with the victim’s courage and tenacity, Sahota will now face the consequences of his actions.”

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A child sex offender has been found guilty of 18 crimes after we launched an investigation.

Andrew Robert Pope, 56, of Burton-on-Trent, was found guilty by a jury at the end of a trial at Stafford Crown Court on 3 June.

Our detectives started investigating him in May last year after one of the survivors bravely came forward and told someone about what happened.

Throughout the course of our investigation, a number of survivors were spoken to. We gathered all of the evidence needed and arrested Pope, who denied all of the offences when he was interviewed in custody.

When we searched his house, we seized his phone and found indecent images on it.

It was during our investigation that a further survivor came forward and told us about more crimes that Pope had committed.

Through our evidence, and the bravery of the survivors, Pope was charged a number of offences and taken to court. He continued to deny his crimes but a jury deemed him guilty on all 18 charges, including:

• Seven counts of rape of a girl
• Nine counts of engaging in sexual activity with a girl
• One count of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child
• One count of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm

Detective Sergeant Gemma Szalapski, from our rape and serious sexual offences unit, said: “By working tirelessly to find out the extent of Pope’s crimes, we were able to help another survivor come forward and seek the right support.

“It is their immeasurable bravery that has resulted in this outcome. I’m pleased that the verdict was reached and all of Pope’s offending will be recognised, despite his attempts to hide the truth.”

He is due to be sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on 3 October this year.

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A sheriff told a Stirling paedophile “I’m prepared to make your life very difficult”.

Mark Pentith sent vile messages to undercover police, believing he was chatting to a 13-year-old girl.