Yasser Kabir

A gang of 12 men, including Yasser Kabir, exploited and raped a vulnerable schoolgirl in Keighley between 2011 and 2012. Kabir, aged 25 from Belgrave Road, Keighley, was one of ten men convicted of raping the girl when she was between 13 and 14 years old. The offences were arranged by a violent drug dealer, Arif Choudhury, who has fled to Bangladesh.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas, described the men's actions as 'heartless and demeaning', noting they treated the girl as a 'pathetic figure who had no worth' and an 'object' for sexual misuse. Kabir was found guilty of three counts of rape against the schoolgirl, for which he received 15 years' imprisonment to run concurrently. Additionally, Kabir was sentenced for raping and abusing two young girls when he was a boy himself; one victim was aged seven to nine, and the other six to seven. He received five years for four counts of rape, four counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and four counts of sexual assault, to run consecutively, resulting in a total of 20 years.

The judge highlighted the degradation and violence inflicted on the victim, with some abuses occurring in an underground car park of a disused police station where Kabir and others, including family members, would gather. Judge Thomas remarked on the defendants' contemptuous attitudes during the trial, which mirrored their disrespect towards the victim. The case was investigated by West Yorkshire Police, with sentencing occurring at Bradford Crown Court following a trial that concluded in December of the previous year.

'They showed her no shred of decency or humanity when as a vulnerable child she so needed care and understanding,' Judge Thomas stated, emphasising the profound impact of the exploitation.