Mohammed Zahid, the ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang who felt “almost untouchable” whilst sexually exploiting two teenage girls as “sex slaves,” has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for horrific offences including multiple rapes.
The 64-year-old market stallholder, known as “Boss Man,” was convicted in June of 20 offences, including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure a girl into having unlawful sexual intercourse. Six other men were also sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday for their roles in the systematic abuse that took place between 2001 and 2006.
The court heard harrowing testimony of how the gang expected sex “wherever and whenever,” forcing their victims into degrading encounters in filthy flats, cars, car parks, alleyways, disused warehouses and on rancid mattresses. Both victims, who were just 13 when the abuse began, came from troubled backgrounds and were known to social services.
Gang Members Receive Lengthy Sentences
Kasir Bashir, 50, of Oldham, who was found guilty of four offences including rape and indecency with a child, received 29 years in prison. The sentence was given in his absence after he fled the UK before trial, highlighting the brazen nature of the gang’s attempts to evade justice.
Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Oldham, convicted of nine offences including rape and indecency with a child, was jailed for 27 years. Roheez Khan, 39, of Rochdale, found guilty of one offence of rape, received 12 years imprisonment.
Three other men await sentencing today. Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Rochdale, was found guilty of six offences including rape and assault by penetration. Nisar Hussain, 41, of Rochdale, was convicted of three offences including rape and assault by penetration. Naheem Akram, 48, of Rochdale, was found guilty of seven offences including rape and assault by penetration.
‘He Felt Almost Untouchable’
Prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC told the court that Zahid’s offending “centred around his stall, which allowed him to meet many girls who he groomed and later introduced to others.” The market stall at Rochdale Indoor Market became a hub for exploitation, where Zahid gave free underwear from his lingerie stall to both victims, along with money, alcohol and food.
One victim, Girl B, was in the care system for most of her young life, and Mohammed Zahid knew about that. The prosecutor stated: “It got to a stage where he was confident that nothing would be done about it, and he would ring the care home and would also go there to pick her up and drop her off.”
“Such was the brazen way he did this that by the end of the abuse, he felt almost untouchable. It’s not as if she had no-one to turn to. She turned to the care home. She turned to social services. She felt able to tell them at some stages, or other people did, and nothing was done. People knew, authorities knew. And nothing was done.”
The court heard that Girl B had been labelled as a “prostitute” by Rochdale social services from the age of just 10, demonstrating the catastrophic institutional failures that allowed the abuse to continue unchecked.
Victims Speak of Devastating Impact
In powerful victim impact statements, both women detailed the lasting trauma inflicted by their abusers. Girl A stated: “My life has been destroyed from the abuse of these men. The abuse has affected every part of my life, from what I look like, relationships, health, to my mental health.
She revealed the toll of seeking justice: “Over the last 10 years, when I finally plucked up the courage to approach the police and disclose the abuse I suffered, it has been an absolute emotional rollercoaster for me. I have provided about 40 video interviews, having to speak about what I was subjected to, talking about it out loud and explaining it in detail.”
Girl B courageously read her statement from the witness box, urging other victims to come forward. “I coped with what these men did to me as at the time I believed that every man I came into contact with would expect sex. It is horrific that I didn’t know any different. My way of coping was to block out most of what had been done to me. I have felt shame and guilt all my life for what these men did.”
She added: “My life has been on hold for the last 20 years, I have never been able to move on from the abuse.”
Message of Hope for Other Victims
Despite their ordeal, Girl B offered hope to other victims of child sexual exploitation (CSE). “People in the press and social media have told victims of CSE not to go to the police. This is wrong. I want these victims to know that if they feel ready to deal with what happened to them they shouldn’t wait, they should go to the CSE team because they will do a good job.”
She emphasised: “It doesn’t matter how much time has gone by, it is still possible to get justice. The day I watched the verdicts changed my life, I instantly had a massive weight lifted off me and I now feel like I can live my life. I do not need to feel ashamed, and I have already started that process.”
Pattern of Previous Offending
Several of the convicted men had previous convictions for similar offences, revealing a pattern of predatory behaviour. Mohammed Zahid was previously jailed for five years in 2016 after engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl who visited his stall to buy school tights. Roheez Khan was convicted in 2013 as part of another Rochdale grooming trial, when he was one of five men found guilty of sexually exploiting a “profoundly vulnerable” 15-year-old girl.
Systematic Failures Exposed
The case has exposed severe institutional failures, with both Greater Manchester Police and social services apologising for their past handling of the victims’ cases. The systematic abuse continued despite multiple opportunities for intervention, with authorities aware of the exploitation but failing to act.
Liz Fell, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS’ Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, stated: “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.”
Wider Context of Rochdale Abuse
This case forms part of a broader pattern of child sexual exploitation in Rochdale. As of January 2024, a total of 42 men have been convicted in various operations, resulting in jail sentences totalling 432 years. Forty-seven girls have been identified as victims of child sexual exploitation during investigations.
The convictions follow years of intensive police work through operations including Operation Doublet and Operation Lytton, demonstrating authorities’ commitment to pursuing historical cases regardless of the time elapsed since the offences.
The sentencing marks another significant milestone in bringing perpetrators of child sexual exploitation to justice, though questions remain about the systemic failures that allowed such widespread abuse to occur unchallenged for years.
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