Zahid Hassan

Zahid Hassan, aged 32 and formerly of Bland Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 20 August 2021 as part of West Yorkshire Police's Operation Tendersea investigation into non-recent child sexual exploitation in Kirklees. The case followed a nine-day trial in May 2021, where a jury deliberated for over eight hours before finding him guilty of five serious sexual offences committed between 2004 and 2014.

Hassan's offending began when he was just 16 years old. In 2006, he and an associate known as 'Fred' raped an 18-year-old woman after taking her to a flat and giving her alcohol until she was incapacitated, unable to talk, stand, or resist. The pair were heard laughing during the attack, treating the victim with what Judge Simon Phillips QC described as 'apparent contempt', likening her to a 'rag doll' as they abused her in 'the most vile way possible'. The following year, Hassan's network passed around the phone number of a 15-year-old girl who had been previously abused, leading to Fred forcing her to perform sex acts on Hassan.

• Convictions: Four counts of rape and one count of attempted rape in relation to two victims.
• Prior sentence: In June 2018, Hassan, also known as 'Manny', received an 18-year prison term for 13 sex offences and one assault against three victims, including multiple child rapes and abductions. His earliest release date from the prior term is 2027.

During sentencing, prosecutor Kate Batty read victim personal statements detailing the profound impacts, including fear, shame, confusion, and an inability to trust men. One victim wondered if the abuse was her fault for being 'too friendly' and expressed worries about having children who could be harmed similarly. Judge Phillips QC highlighted the 'insidious and persistent' grooming of vulnerable children and young persons, often targeted due to family circumstances and naivety. He noted that some victims returned home 'almost senseless' and repeatedly went back out of fear of consequences.

Hassan was described in court as a 'broken man' while serving his existing sentence. The 21-year term for these offences will run concurrently with his current imprisonment. Judge Phillips emphasised that the severe sentences were intended to deter others and protect young girls from abuse, stating, 'The courts have to do what they can to protect young girls from abuse.' This case is part of broader revelations from Operation Tendersea, uncovering historic grooming and exploitation in Huddersfield.