• Source:JND
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Mohammed Zahid, 65, nicknamed “Boss Man,” has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing underage girls in Greater Manchester. Zahid lured victims by giving them free underwear from his market stall, expecting regular sexual acts for himself and his associates in return. Zahid was one of seven men convicted in June of committing sexual offences between 2001 and 2006.

The others, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67; Kasir Bashir, 50; Mohammed Shahzad, 44; NaheemAkram, 49; Nisar Hussain, 41; and Roheez Khan, 39, also received lengthy prison sentences at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.

Victims Exploited From Age 13

The court heard that the victims, referred to as Girl A and Girl B, were sexually exploited from the age of 13 in filthy flats, car parks, alleyways, and disused warehouses. The girls, who were not acquainted with each other, were treated as “sex slaves” expected to comply whenever and wherever the men demanded. Both had “deeply troubled home lives” and were provided with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and places to stay.

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Judge Condemns ‘Predatory’ Men

During sentencing, Judge Jonathan Seely called the men “predatory” and said their treatment of the girls was “appalling.” He added: “They were abused, degraded and then discarded. It would have been obvious to these men that they craved the attention that their home lives didn’t provide. They felt they had little or no choice but to submit to the almost incessant sexual abuse meted out to them.”

Abuse Linked To Market And Taxi Networks

All the men worked either at the market or as taxi drivers, which gave them access to vulnerable girls. Prosecutors revealed that Zahid gave victims gifts and money before sexually abusing them. Between 2001 and 2006, the girls were taken to multiple addresses and remote locations where they were plied with alcohol and forced into sexual acts.

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Rochdale, where much of the abuse took place, was among the first UK towns revealed as a hub for grooming gangs in the early 2010s, prompting nationwide investigations and prosecutions. Judge Seely highlighted the calculated nature of the crimes and the lasting psychological impact on the victims, noting the men showed a “chilling disregard” for their wellbeing.