Habibur Rahim

Habibur Rahim, aged 34 from Kenilworth Road, was a key figure in the Operation Sanctuary investigation, a major police probe into a grooming network that targeted vulnerable girls in Newcastle upon Tyne. As part of a larger gang convicted of systematic sexual abuse, Rahim engaged in sustained exploitation, using alcohol and drugs to manipulate his victims. The court heard harrowing accounts from multiple survivors, highlighting the profound impact of the crimes.

Rahim, also known as Sham and a father of two, was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to incite prostitution involving eight different victims, several trafficking for sexual exploitation offences, and one count of rape. In a particularly brutal incident, he raped a 17-year-old victim after plying her with alcohol and drugs, then barricading her in a room using a wardrobe to prevent escape. Judge Penny Moreland at Newcastle Crown Court described Rahim as a high-profile and active member of the group, responsible for extreme harm by cultivating dependence on substances to facilitate the abuse.

• The victim, in a statement read to the court, detailed her ongoing trauma: 'I have suffered severe depression and a split personality. I feel paranoid all the time and don't feel safe in my own flat, I have started losing my hair. I wake up in the night fearing Sham is in the flat. I keep wanting to take my own life to get away from it all. I now sleep with a knife by my bed.'
• The judge emphasised that the offences involved no racial aggravation, with victims selected for their youth and vulnerability rather than ethnicity.

This sentencing occurred on the second day of proceedings for the gang, following the conviction of 17 men and one woman in August 2017 after two years of trials. Eight men, including Rahim, were found guilty of conspiracy to incite prostitution. Northumbria Police's Operation Sanctuary uncovered a drugs and grooming ring forcing young women into sex, with Rahim's actions forming a core part of the network's operations. The investigation revealed payments to informants, including over £10,000 to a child rapist, underscoring the complexity of dismantling such groups.