Amreaz Asghar

Amreaz Asghar, 47, from Keighley, was sentenced to four years and six months' imprisonment in 2023 at Bradford Crown Court for one count of rape as part of a group exploitation of a vulnerable teenage girl in the late 1990s. This conviction, detailed in a West Yorkshire Police statement following the lifting of reporting restrictions on 17 January 2025, involved offences against the primary victim in the Keighley child sex abuse case.

The broader context revealed a pattern of grooming and abuse targeting two children, with the girl, aged 13 to 14, described as 'extremely vulnerable and isolated' by prosecutor Catherine Duffy. She was plied with drugs and alcohol, passed between men, and endured repeated sexual assaults, leading to lifelong trauma. The victim, now in her 40s, shared: 'I went through too much, too young, and I'm still trying to fix the trauma that other people have inflicted on me.' Judge Ahmed Nadim, in related sentencings, criticised police and social services for failing to act on the mother's reports, calling them 'ill-equipped' or 'disinterested'.

Asghar's role contributed to the systematic abuse, with the court hearing accounts of the girl being controlled and forced into sex work. The investigation by West Yorkshire Police, spanning years, culminated in convictions for eight men, with Det Ch Insp Vicky Greenbank praising the victims' 'immense patience' and 'courage' through the complex process. This case highlights historical failures in protecting vulnerable youth from grooming gangs in the area.

The sentencings, including Asghar's in 2023, followed trials in 2024, allowing public awareness of the full extent of the abuses. Government responses, such as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's announced audit into gang-based exploitation, underscore ongoing concerns about such cases in regions like Bradford and Keighley.