Seven Asian Men Convicted of Grooming and Sexually Exploiting Vulnerable Teenage Girls in Rochdale

Seven Asian men found guilty of sexual exploitation of two teenage girls in Rochdale

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court has found seven Asian men guilty of sexually exploiting two white teenage girls over a five-year period in Rochdale. The victims were just 13 years old when the abuse began, with the perpetrators systematically grooming them as "sex slaves" through manipulation, drugs, and alcohol.

The court heard how the defendants preyed on the girls' "deeply troubled home lives," luring them with cigarettes, alcohol, and shelter before subjecting them to horrific abuse. The victims were expected to comply with sexual demands "whenever and wherever" the men wanted—including in squalid flats, on filthy mattresses, cars, car parks, alleyways, and abandoned warehouses across Rochdale.

Among the convicted were three Pakistani-born market stallholders: Mohammed Zahid, 64, known as "Boss Man," who gave the girls lingerie, money, and alcohol in exchange for sex; Mushtaq Ahmed, 67; and Kasir Bashir, 50, who fled before trial. Zahid had previously been jailed in 2016 for grooming a 15-year-old girl.

Roheez Khan, 39, another defendant, had a prior conviction in 2013 for sexually exploiting a 15-year-old. Three Rochdale-born taxi drivers—Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 48, and Nisar Hussain, 41—were remanded in custody after police uncovered plans to flee the UK.

The case highlights a disturbing pattern of exploitation, with authorities emphasizing the need for stronger protections for vulnerable youth.