10 men who preyed on vulnerable children jailed for over 125 years for child sexual exploitation offences''

Ten men have been jailed for over 125 years for a range of serious sexual offences as part of Operation Doublet - an investigation into child sexual exploitation mainly in Rochdale, with the majority happening between 2004 and 2008. The following men were convicted during two trials that were held at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. On Thursday 7 and Friday 8 April 2016 they were sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

• Afraz Ahmed (22/11/1982) of Oswald Street, Rochdale was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of conspiracy to rape, two counts of inciting sexual activity, five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of Section 47 assault against five victims. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
• Choudhry Ikhalaq Hussain (born 12/09/1977) of Mayfield Terrace, Rochdale was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of rape and one count of conspiracy to rape against one victim. He was convicted in his absence and is currently wanted by police. He is believed to be outside the United Kingdom. He was sentenced in his absence to 19 years in prison.
• Rehan Ali (born 10/12/1988) of Cleethorpes Avenue, Blackley was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape against one victim. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
• Kutab Miah (born 20/08/1980) of Ramsay Street, Rochdale was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape against one victim. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison.
• Mohammed Dauood (born 14/01/1978) of Leyland Road, Burnley was found guilty of three counts of rape, one count of sexual Activity with a child, one count of sexual assault and one count of Section 47 assault against two victims. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
• Abid Khan (born 06/12/1976) of Whitney Road, Liverpool was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child against one victim. He was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.
• Mohammed Zahid (born 06/09/1960) of Croxton Avenue, Rochdale was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child against one victim. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
• David Law (born 06/05/1969) of Cotmanhay Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to rape against one victim. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
• A man who cannot be named for legal reasons was found guilty of three counts of rape and attempted child abduction against three victims. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison plus 8 years on extended license.
• Mahfuz Rahman (18/06/1986) of HMP Garth pleaded guilty to three counts of Sexual Activity with a Child and was sentenced to five years and six months in prison at the beginning of the trial.
• The convictions relate to offences committed against eight victims who were aged between 13 and 23 at the time of the abuse.
• 
  

Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Daniels, the Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Doublet, said:

"Operation Doublet was launched following the 2011 investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale and we identified a number of cases, which broadly took place between 2004 and 2008, across Greater Manchester where teenage girls were being sexually exploited by older men.

"This was an extremely complex case and I want to commend the victims for the immense bravery they have shown; only with their support have we arrived at this point. The process can be emotionally demanding and traumatic for the victims and we do not underestimate the courage this took.

"The strong partnership approach taken here, ranging from the Crown Prosecution Service through to Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council has been important and the police team have dedicated themselves and have been relentless in achieving the very best outcomes.

"This has been achieved through a great deal of hard work by police, partners and victims. The nationally recognised Sunrise team in Rochdale continue to help identify vulnerable children in Rochdale with Project Phoenix being a multi-agency approach for Greater Manchester.

"CSE is more than a criminal issue - it is a social problem that we are working closely with our partners to tackle on many levels. Criminal investigations and convictions allow us to remove the offender but there is a huge amount of work behind the scenes. These are victim-led investigations and the long-term wellbeing and care of those victims is of paramount importance.

"Tackling the sexual exploitation of children and young people is an absolute priority for Greater Manchester Police, but protecting them is the responsibility of us all. It is crucial that we work together to identify individuals who prey on vulnerable children and empower young people to speak up."

Source: Greater Manchester Police