A grooming gang operating in Rochdale has been sentenced to a combined 174 years in prison for the systematic sexual exploitation of two teenage girls between 2001 and 2006.
The Offenders
Mohammed Zahid, 65, received the longest sentence of 35 years. Operating from a lingerie stall at Rochdale Indoor Market, he used free underwear, money, alcohol, and food to groom his victims, who were as young as 13 years old. Zahid was convicted of raping both victims on multiple occasions, along with other offenses including indecency with a child and procuring a child for sex.
Six other men were also convicted and sentenced:
Mushtaq Ahmed, 67: 27 years for multiple counts of rape and indecency with a child
Kasir Bashir, 50: 29 years (sentenced in absentia after fleeing the country)
Mohammed Shahzad, 44: 26 years for multiple rape counts
Naheem Akram, 49: 26 years for multiple rape counts
Nisar Hussain, 41: 19 years for multiple rape counts
Roheez Khan, 39: 12 years for rape
The seven men were convicted in June at Manchester Minshull Street Court.
The Victims’ Ordeal
Both victims came from troubled backgrounds and were known to authorities. Prosecutors described how they were treated as “sex slaves,” systematically exploited in various locations including flats, cars, car parks, alleyways, and warehouses.
One victim, who lived in a children’s home at the time, was disturbingly labeled by social workers as having been “prostituting” herself from age 10. She testified that Zahid brazenly picked her up and dropped her off at the care home, believing himself “almost untouchable.”
The other victim stated she may have been targeted by more than 200 offenders as her phone number circulated throughout the town.
Systemic Failures
Judge Jonathan Seely condemned the failures of those meant to protect the victims, stating both girls were “highly vulnerable” with “deeply troubled backgrounds” and were known to authorities.
“They were passed around for sex – abused, humiliated, degraded and then discarded,” the judge said. “Both were seriously let down by those whose job it was to protect them.”
The prosecution revealed that multiple agencies knew the girls were having sex with older men, yet no reports were made to police and no action was taken to stop the abuse.
Victims’ Impact
In victim impact statements, both women described the lasting trauma from their abuse.
One victim said her life had been “destroyed” and her “childhood was taken away,” adding: “I meant nothing to these men – they used me for their advantage only.”
The other described her experience as “horrific” and said her life had been “on hold” for 20 years, noting that her children had also become victims of these crimes.
Investigation and Response
The crimes only came to light in 2015 when one victim reported to police. This marks the eighth time that men primarily of Pakistani heritage have been convicted of grooming girls for sex in Rochdale during the early 2000s.
Social services and police have apologized for their past failures. The Crown Prosecution Service’s Organized Child Sexual Abuse Unit worked with Greater Manchester Police to build the case.
Following the June convictions, calls were renewed for a national statutory inquiry into how authorities failed to protect vulnerable children, with some estimates suggesting up to 250,000 girls may have been victimized by similar gangs across 50 British towns and cities over four decades.
Liz Fell from the CPS expressed hope that the outcome would encourage other victims to come forward, promising support throughout the legal process.
