Ashefaq Yousaf

Ashefaq Yousaf, 30, from Rochdale, was sentenced to 19 years in prison at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court for four counts of rape involving two complainants. The conviction forms part of Greater Manchester Police's Operation Doublet, an investigation triggered by the 2012 Rochdale grooming scandal that exposed widespread sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls in the area. Reporting restrictions preventing his identification were lifted following the sentencing.

The offences involved the repeated targeting and abuse of young, vulnerable victims in Rochdale, consistent with patterns identified in the broader grooming cases. Yousaf's actions contributed to the systemic abuse uncovered in the operation, which led to the jailing of multiple men for sexual offences against children and young women.

Judge John Potter presided over the case, emphasising the severity of the crimes during sentencing. The investigation highlighted how perpetrators preyed on girls who were often neglected or in chaotic circumstances, mirroring the experiences of victims in earlier Rochdale convictions.