Two men have been sentenced to a combined 17 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple counts of grooming and sexual offending against two victims in Bradford.
Mohammed Naveed, 42, of West Park House, Dewsbury, and Muhammed Afsan, 43, of Lynfield Drive, Bradford, were convicted of 12 offences by a jury, including rape for Naveed and sexual assault for Afsan.
At Bradford Crown Court on 14 October, Naveed was jailed for nine years while Afsan received an eight-year sentence. Both men were given sexual harm prevention orders and must sign the sex offenders register for life.
‘Rewards’ of Cash, Drugs and Vapes
The court heard how the two predators groomed and abused their victims by providing them with “rewards” including cash, drugs and vapes in exchange for sexual acts.
Prosecutor Louise Reevell told the court that Naveed had been convicted by the jury of rape, sexual communication with a child, paying for sexual services, sexual assault and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
The court heard that one victim, a boy, was “rewarded” for sharing photographs with “vapes and money” and that Naveed had paid him £20 for oral sex.
Afsan was convicted of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child, breaching a sexual risk order and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
Previous Sexual Risk Order Breached
The court heard that Afsan was already subject to a sexual risk order made by magistrates in 2022 when he committed these offences. He breached that order by having a 15-year-old girl in his car on two occasions, along with the teenage boy victim.
Recorder Patrick Palmer noted during sentencing that while the two defendants had not been operating together, they had each stood trial and been found guilty on all counts.
Victims Suffer Lasting Impact
In a victim impact statement summarised in court, the boy described suffering from sleepless nights and nightmares as a result of the abuse.
Police Constable Morgan Hirst of Bradford Districts Child Safeguarding Unit said: “We welcome the sentence handed down for these abhorrent crimes.
“These two men abused and groomed their victims by giving them rewards through cash, drugs and vapes.”
“I hope the sentence can give the victims some comfort and justice in knowing they have been jailed for these offences.”
‘Serious Offending’ Warranting Immediate Imprisonment
Recorder Palmer told the defendants: “You must both understand your offending is serious offending which obviously warrants immediate sentences of imprisonment.”
The judge emphasised the severity of the crimes, particularly given Afsan’s breach of an existing sexual risk order while committing new offences against children.
PC Hirst added: “We take all reports of sexual offending seriously and have dedicated teams who investigate and provide victims with support.”
Part of Wider Pattern
This case adds to a concerning pattern of grooming cases in Bradford. The sentencing comes just weeks after seven other men from Bradford were jailed for grooming and sexually abusing a vulnerable girl who was just 13 years old when the abuse began in a Bradford children’s home in the early 2000s.
Earlier this year, Raja Zulqurnean, another Bradford grooming gang member, had his sentence increased from 18 years to 23 years by the Court of Appeal after he was found to have “married” his 15-year-old victim in an Islamic wedding ceremony.
Life-Long Monitoring
Both Naveed and Afsan will be subject to sexual harm prevention orders for life, severely restricting their contact with children and requiring them to notify police of various activities including foreign travel and internet use.
They must also sign the sex offenders register for life, meaning they will be monitored by police and must notify authorities of any change of address or name.
West Yorkshire Police emphasised that they have dedicated teams investigating sexual offences and supporting victims, encouraging anyone who has been affected by similar crimes to come forward.
The force stated that all reports of sexual offending are taken seriously, regardless of when the abuse occurred, and that specialist officers are trained to support victims through the investigation and court process.
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