Shabir Ahmed

Shabir Ahmed, aged 59 from Oldham, was a key figure in one of the UK's most notorious child sex exploitation cases in Rochdale. As the leader of a grooming gang, Ahmed and eight other men were convicted in May 2012 at Liverpool Crown Court for a series of sexual offences against vulnerable girls as young as 13. The group targeted victims in the Heywood area of Rochdale, using two takeaway restaurants as bases for their operations. Ahmed himself was found guilty of two counts of rape, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault, and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Following his initial conviction, Ahmed faced further charges, which led to his anonymity being lifted. In June 2012, at Manchester Crown Court, he was convicted of 30 child rape charges for abusing a single girl over more than a decade, treating her as a 'possession' for his sexual gratification. The abuse occurred on an almost weekly basis, beginning many years before the wider grooming scandal came to light. Judge Mushtaq Khokhar sentenced Ahmed to 22 years, to run concurrently with his existing 19-year term, effectively maintaining the total custodial period at 19 years. During the sentencing, Ahmed disrupted proceedings by shouting 'It's all lies. It's all concocted by the police' and confronting journalists, leading to his removal from the dock.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle of Greater Manchester Police praised the victim's 'phenomenal bravery' in coming forward, stating: 'We already knew Ahmed was an integral part of the Rochdale grooming case - now we can also say his horrific campaign of abuse began many years ago with the systematic rape of this one victim.' The case highlighted systemic failures in protecting vulnerable children, with the gang exploiting girls through grooming tactics involving gifts, alcohol, and threats. Ahmed resided on Windsor Road in Oldham at the time of the offences. The convictions were part of broader investigations into child sexual exploitation in the region, as reported by the BBC on 21 June 2012.