ARREST WARRANT | 

Man (52) charged with raping underage girl in Rochdale flees to Dublin

Tahir Rashid is one of 11 men charged in relation to a major child sex exploitation investigation

Yesterday at 14:29

An arrest warrant has been issued in the UK for a man charged with rape and sexual activity with an underage girl after a court heard he fled to Ireland.

Tahir Rashid is one of 11 men charged in relation to a major child sex exploitation investigation but a district judge was told he boarded a flight to Dublin and hasn’t returned.

The other 10 men who are accused of historic child sex offences in Rochdale, including a father-of-seven, made their first appearances at Manchester and Salford magistrates court on Wednesday.

When Rashid (52) of Hudsons Walk, Rochdale, did not appear for the hearing, District Judge Mitchell issued a warrant for his arrest.

Prosecutor Peter Conroy said police had intelligence Rashid boarded a 5.50am flight to Dublin on April 30.

Rashid who is charged with 13 offences in total, including rape and penetrative sexual activity with an underage girl has not since returned to the UK.

The case followed an announcement by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on May 2 that 11 men had been charged in connection with Operation Lytton – an ongoing investigation into historic sex offences against children.

The 11 men have been accused of multiple offences against three teenage girls, aged between 13 and 17, in Rochdale between 2000 and 2007.

District Judge Mitchell told each defendant when they all appeared individually before him that the charges were so serious they could only be dealt with by a judge at a crown court.

All defendants indicated not guilty pleas through their lawyers, but no formal pleas were entered.

All 10 were bailed on the same conditions, to surrender passports within 24 hours, to live and sleep at their home address between 7pm and 7am each day, and not to travel outside the UK or apply for travel documents.

They have also been ordered to sign on once a week at their local police station, not to contact witnesses, co-accused and complainants, have no unsupervised contact with anyone aged under 18 without prior risk assessment by social services, except for their own children, and not to enter any airport, ferry terminal or international travel hub.

The 10 defendants include Mohammed Zahid (42) of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, who is accused of 32 offences, including rape, trafficking persons within the UK for sexual exploitation, penetrative sexual activity with an underage girl, gross indecency with an underage girl and procuring an underage girl to have unlawful sexual intercourse with unknown males.

Roheez Khan (37) of Athole Street, Rochdale, is accused of two counts of rape and one of penetrative sexual activity, involving girls aged 15 to 17.

Arfan Khan (38) of Grouse Street, Rochdale, is accused of two counts of rape and two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, involving two girls aged 14.

Mohammad Salim (44) of Dittonmead Close, Rochdale, is accused of four counts of rape and four counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity, involving girls aged 14 and 15.

Mohammed Shazad (41) of Bewsicke Royds Street, Rochdale, is accused of seven counts of rape, inciting a girl to commit gross indecency, trafficking a person for sexual exploitation, two counts of sexual activity with a girl and five counts of the sexual penetration of a girl, including the use of a bottle, the youngest complainant being aged 13.

Mustaq Ahmed (64) of Corona Avenue, Oldham, has been charged with two counts of rape and four counts of gross indecency with a child under 16. Kasir Bashir (48) of Napier Street East, Oldham, has been charged with rape and four counts of gross indecency with a girl under 16.

Nisar Hussain (39) of Newfield Close, Rochdale, is accused of making indecent images of a child and facilitating persons within the UK for the purpose of sexual activity.

Naheem Akram (46) of Manley Road, Rochdale, has been charged with six counts of rape and four of penetrative sexual activity with a child.

Father-of-seven Suklane Shah (44) of Crawford Street, Rochdale, has been charged with 11 counts of penetrative sexual activity with an underage girl.

All 10 will next appear at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, on June 7.