Nine men have been sentenced to a total of 77 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court for their roles in a child sexual exploitation gang that groomed vulnerable young girls in Rochdale. The trial, which concluded on Tuesday, heard that five victims, the youngest aged 13 when the abuse began, were plied with food, alcohol, drugs, and gifts before being passed around a group of men for sex.
The ringleader, a 59-year-old man from Oldham who cannot be named for legal reasons, received a 19-year sentence after being convicted of two rapes, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault, and trafficking for sexual exploitation. Other sentences included Kabeer Hassan, 25, jailed for nine years for rape; Hamid Safi, 22, an illegal immigrant, sentenced to four years for conspiracy; and Abdul Qayyum, 44, given five years for conspiracy. Mohammed Amin, 45, received five years for conspiracy and 12 months for sexual assault; Adil Khan, 42, was jailed for eight years for conspiracy and trafficking; Mohammed Sajid, 35, got 12 years for rape; Abdul Rauf, 43, received six years for conspiracy and trafficking; and Abdul Aziz, 41, a taxi driver, was sentenced to nine years for conspiracy and trafficking.
Before sentencing, Martin Narey, former Barnardo's chief executive, noted a 'very significant over-representation of Asian men, Pakistani men' in such crimes in northern cities, though he stressed child abuse overall is mostly perpetrated by white men. However, Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee, rejected the notion of a race issue, urging a proper investigation without stigmatising a whole community.
Greater Manchester Police said further arrests are possible and are searching for Mohammed Shazad, 39, who absconded while on bail. The force has faced criticism for its handling of the original investigation in 2008, when a 15-year-old girl reported being attacked and groomed. It has apologised to the victims after the Crown Prosecution Service initially declined to pursue charges against the ringleader and Hassan. The matter has been voluntarily referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Detective Inspector Michael Sanderson, the senior investigating officer, stated the defendants showed no remorse and forced victims to relive their ordeals. He vowed the force would 'hunt down and prosecute' anyone involved in child sexual exploitation.
