Taherul Alam

Taherul Alam, known as T-Boss and residing on Normanton Terrace in Newcastle, received an eight-year custodial sentence at Newcastle Crown Court for his involvement in a grooming gang exposed by Operation Sanctuary. This Northumbria Police operation targeted a network of 17 men and one woman who conspired to incite prostitution, supply drugs, and commit sexual offences against vulnerable teenage girls, predominantly aged 15 or 16.

Alam's offences included conspiracy to incite prostitution and attempted sexual assault, where he exploited a victim by providing her with mephedrone in exchange for her having sex with his friend. As recounted by prosecutor John Elvidge QC, Alam instructed the girl, 'My boy wants you,' demonstrating the coercive tactics used to control and traffic the young women. The gang operated from various locations in Newcastle's West End, including flats where all-night parties involved heavy drug use and sexual abuse, with victims often transported by taxis.

The sentencing on 6 September 2017 came after Alam was found guilty alongside four others, with the court hearing disturbing accounts of the girls' ordeals. Alam, who has a three-year-old son, was part of a broader conspiracy that made victims' lives a nightmare, as evidenced by witness testimonies from affected residents. The BBC's coverage highlighted how the investigation revealed the scale of the abuse, with ten gang members already sentenced and others pending, emphasising the organised exploitation.

Judge Penny Moreland addressed the persistence of the grooming over extended periods, noting the profound harm inflicted on the underage victims. Operation Sanctuary's findings, including informant testimonies, painted a picture of a drugs-for-sex economy that underpinned the sexual offences, with Alam's actions contributing directly to the conspiracy's operations in Newcastle.