Seven men convicted for sexually exploiting children in Rochdale

Seven men have been convicted for their role in the systematic abuse of vulnerable children in Rochdale.  

The Crown Prosecution Service prosecuted Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 66, Kasir Bashir, 50, Roheez Khan, 39, Mohammed Shahzad, 43, Nisar Hussain, 41, and  Naheem Akram, 48, following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police.  

They were found guilty following a trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court of sexually abusing two girls in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006.  

The abuse started when each of the girls were aged just 13. Both were from vulnerable backgrounds and were known to social services. One victim was living in the care system during the offending period. They were groomed with gifts and money and often plied with alcohol or drugs before being attacked.  

After reviewing the evidence presented by the prosecution – including victims’ video-recorded interviews, corroborating details like vehicle identifications, employment records, and links between the defendants – the jury found the defendants guilty.  

Liz Fell, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS’ Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said: “These men targeted children, preyed upon their vulnerabilities and groomed them for their own sexual gratification. 

“The treatment of the victims at the hands of these predators was nothing short of appalling. They were vulnerable children cruelly passed around for sex; abused, degraded and then discarded.  

“I want to pay tribute to the victims in this case for their courage in coming forward and giving evidence against these seven defendants. I hope they can find some comfort in knowing that it is because of their bravery and fortitude that we have been able to bring these offenders to justice.  

“This case has been incredibly complex and challenging, but thanks to the close collaboration with Greater Manchester Police, we were able to build a compelling case to present to the court. The jury saw through the defendants and delivered the justice these victims deserve.  

“These convictions send a very clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement colleagues, will relentlessly pursue justice for victims and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.” 

The two girls were abused by the defendants: with Ahmed and Bashir, abusing one victim, and Khan, Shahzad, Hussain, and Akram abusing the other. Zahid abused both girls.  

Both victims, who were not known to each other, worked informally at a stall Zahid ran in Rochdale Market. He was also known to them as ‘Boss’ and ‘Bossman’.  

Zahid gave the girls jobs, gifts and money, before he began sexually abusing them and bringing them to addresses where they were plied with alcohol and expected to have unprotected sex with other men, including Ahmed, Bashir, and Khan.  

Shahzad was a taxi driver who met one of the victims when she was 13. Shahzad befriended her, texting her often and giving her lifts. After about a month, he started to regularly pick her up in his taxi and ply her with alcohol, before raping her.  

She was driven to remote locations and passed around amongst taxi drivers who knew Shahzad, including Akram, and Hussain, who sexually abused and raped her.  

To deal with the most complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases like this, the CPS has established a dedicated national Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit where Specialist Prosecutors use their expertise and experience to build strong cases and increase the number of successful prosecutions. 

Guy Laycock, Detective Chief Inspector for Greater Manchester Police, said: “I must start by paying tribute to the two survivors in this case. 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.

“These seven men preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain. 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.

“The team of dedicated investigators on this case have put thousands of hours into securing this outcome. They’ve supported the victims throughout to piece together all the evidence. Bringing child abusers to justice is why we work so tirelessly day-in day-out and I am so pleased for the victims that we have been able to help deliver this justice for them.”

Steph Parker, Assistant Chief Constable for Greater Manchester Police, said: “The survivors in this case are two women who were horrendously abused by this group of men. This unthinkable abuse was compounded by failings from authorities who let them down when they needed protecting the most. They were vulnerable children who experienced the worst trauma possible, and this will remain a matter of profound regret.

“I commend the faith the victims have shown in the GMP of today to support this long and complex investigation. We have excellent officers and staff who represent our determination to protect survivors and pursue offenders, through traditional detective work and our modern victim-centred approach. This is painstaking work that is bringing child abusers to justice.

“I know that our past failings have meant there are people who doubt the police’s commitment today to putting grooming gangs behind bars where they belong. Let me be clear: time is no barrier to justice, and we are actively working with dozens of survivors on numerous investigations to ensure no offender gets away with this. When you are ready, we will listen.

“Our dedicated Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigations Team has almost 100 investigators working every day to listen to victims and to bring cases to court. Every town, city, and borough in GM has a dedicated multi-agency safeguarding team that shares information and investigates all reports to protect children from harm. We’re lightyears ahead of where we were, and we are totally focussed on listening to survivors and continuing to further improve on our best practices which are now well-embedded.”