British-Pakistani 'bossman', 6 others jailed in UK for multiple child sex offences

London, Oct 1 (PTI) A British Pakistani ringleader and six others were on Wednesday given prison sentences totalling 174 years after a Greater Manchester Police investigation into multiple child sex offences against two girls dating back nearly 25 years.

Mohammed Zahid, 64, was sentenced to 35 years after being found guilty of 20 offences, including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sex.  Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Zahid was referred to as “bossman” by the two young victims, who worked informally at a stall he ran in Rochdale Market in north-west England. He was convicted of grooming them since they were aged 13 and then plied them with alcohol and drugs to be abused by the other men, also of Pakistani heritage.

“These seven men preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain,” said Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock, Greater Manchester Police’s senior investigating officer in the case.

“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,” he said.

The Crown Prosecution Service's dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit prosecuted Zahid along with Mushtaq Ahmed, 66, Kasir Bashir, 50, Roheez Khan, 39, Mohammed Shahzad, 43, Nisar Hussain, 41, and Naheem Akram, 48 – each of whom received sentences ranging from 12 to 35 years' imprisonment for the crimes they committed between 2001 and 2006.

“Our Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, in collaboration with Greater Manchester Police, was able to use extensive evidence to build a comprehensive picture of the defendant’s offending to present to a jury who found them guilty and delivered the justice these women deserve,” said Liz Fell, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS’ Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit.

“Both women not only gave evidence during the trial but have assisted the court further by providing Victim Personal Statements describing in tragic detail the trauma they have carried for decades, and the impact this offending has had on all parts of their lives,” she said.

The court heard that both victims, not known to each other, were from vulnerable family backgrounds and on the radar of local social services. They were groomed with gifts and money and often plied with alcohol or drugs before being assaulted or raped.

According to the CPS, Ahmed and Bashir abused one victim, and Khan, Shahzad, Hussain, and Akram abused the other. Zahid, the ringleader, abused both girls.

The jury heard how Shahzad was a taxi driver who befriended one of the victims and drove her to remote locations and passed her around among other taxi drivers, including Akram and Hussain, to be sexually abused.

The CPS and police hailed the courage of the victims, whose evidence was central to the prosecution, as their accounts were found to corroborate one another despite them not knowing each other.

During a four-month trial, the CPS said it presented a “meticulously constructed” case that drew together multiple strands of evidence which supported the victims’ accounts.  Despite their denials throughout, the strength of the evidence and the credibility of the victims’ testimony resulted in the jury returning unanimous verdicts against all seven men, who were found guilty of 50 counts, including 30 rape charges.

Sharon Hubber, director of children's services at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “What these men did to those innocent young girls was vile and they rightfully deserve to be behind bars for a long time.

"Today's sentencing is a reminder of our ongoing commitment, alongside Greater Manchester Police, in bringing these perpetrators to justice and we will not stop here in our efforts.” PTI AK ZH ZH