Jailed, the sex gang driven by lust and greed

JAILED: takeaway worker Kabeer Hassan from Oldham

The gang of nine Asian men who groomed white girls as young as 13 have gone to jail for up to 19 years.

The men were convicted yesterday of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16 and other offences.

The Liverpool Crown Court hearing took place amid tight security with police standing guard in the courtroom and around the building.

Judge Gerald Clifton told the defendants the sentences he was about to pass “applied to all defendants, be they white or Asian” and their crimes had been driven by lust and greed.

The Oldham man regarded as the ringleader, a 59-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for 19 years for conspiracy, rape, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault and a count of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation. The judge called the defendant an “unpleasant and hypocritical bully”.

Takeaway worker Kabeer Hassan (25), of Lacrosse Avenue, Oldham, was jailed for nine years for rape and the conspiracy conviction. The 59 year old ordered the first victim to have sex with Hassan as a birthday “treat” and he raped the girl, then aged 15.

Taxi driver Abdul Aziz, 41, of Armstrong Hurst Close, Rochdale, was sentenced to nine years for conspiracy and trafficking for sexual exploitation. The married father-of-three took over from the 59 year old as the main trafficker of victims and was paid by men to supply girls for sex.

Judge Clifton said his behaviour was “repugnant”.

Married father-of-five Abdul Rauf (43), of Darley Road, Rochdale, was jailed for six years for conspiracy and trafficking for sexual exploitation. The religious studies teacher at a local mosque had asked a 15-year-old victim if she had any younger friends. He would drive some of the girls to other men, despite knowing they were underage. Judge Clifton branded him a hypocrite.

Mohammed Sajid (35), of Jepheys Street, Rochdale, was sentenced to 12 years for rape, trafficking sexual activity with a child. Known as “Saj”, he would regularly ply victims with alcohol before having sex with them at his flat, where groups of men would gather and “pass around” the girls. He will be deported to Pakistan after his sentence.

Adil Khan (42), of Oswald Street, Rochdale, was sentenced to eight years for conspiracy and trafficking. Khan, married with one child, fathered the child of a 13-year-old victim.

Mohammed Amin (45), of Falinge Road, Rochdale, was sentenced to five years for conspiracy and sexual assault. He was a taxi driver known as “Car Zero” and is married with school-aged children.

Abdul Qayyum (44) of Ramsay Street, Rochdale, was jailed for five years for conspiracy. The taxi-driver was known by the name “Tiger”.

Illegal immigrant Hamid Safi (22), of no fixed address was jailed for four years for conspiracy and trafficking. He will be deported to Afghanistan after his sentence.

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