Twenty men have been jailed for more than 219 years combined after being found guilty of raping and abusing young girls. Through a series of individual investigations and trials, the men were found to have sexually abused and exploited four girls between the ages of 12 and 16 in Calderdale.
Since the first report in 2016, detectives in Calderdale have conducted multiple extremely complex and sensitive investigations into a number of separate allegations of sexual abuse of children in the Calderdale area between 2001 and 2010.
Due to court restrictions being put in place at an early stage to safeguard legal proceedings, we have so far been unable to share the outcomes of these investigations. The restrictions have now been lifted, allowing us to share details of three investigations where proceedings are no longer active.
In 2016 an investigation was launched into allegations of child sexual abuse and exploitation of two girls in the Calderdale area between 2006 and 2009 when the girls were aged between 13 and 16.
Trial One – commenced October 2021 at Bradford Crown Court
- Shahzad Nowaz, 45, of Halifax, found guilty of rape and making threats to kill, sentenced to a total of 11 years.
- Nadeem Nassir, 44, of Halifax, found guilty of rape and making threats to kill, sentenced to a total of 11 years.
- Sajid Adalat, 48, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of seven years.
- Sohail Zaffer, 41, of Halifax, pled guilty to rape and supply of a class C drug, sentenced to a total of 42 months.
- Shazad Nazir, 49, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of 11 years.
Trial Two – commenced January 2022 Bradford Crown Court
- Nadeem Adalat, 39, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 14 years. He appealed the sentence, increased to a total of 16 years.
- Asad Mahmood, 38, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of 13 years.
- Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 39, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of nine years.
- Vaseem Adalat, 38, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 12 years, following an appeal was increased to a total of 14 years and 6 months.
In 2016 an investigation was launched following reports of repeated sexual abuse of a vulnerable young girl between 2002 and 2006, starting when she was 13 years old.
Trial One – commenced August 2022 Bradford Crown Court
- Amir Shaban, 48, of Halifax, was found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
Trial Two – commenced October 2022 at Bradford Crown Court
- Malik Quadeer, 67, of Halifax, found guilty of five counts of rape, sentenced to 22 years.
- Mohammed Ziarab, 55, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
- Imran Raja Yasin, 45, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
- Kamran Amin, 48, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
- Mohammed Akhtar, 54, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 11 years. Mr Akhtar died while serving his sentence.
- Saquab Hussain, 46, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to seven years and 6 months.
Trial Three – commenced January 2024 at Bradford Crown Court
- Haroon Sadiq, 40, of Halifax, found guilty of two counts of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
- Shafiq Ali Rafiq, 44, of Dewsbury, found guilty of two counts of rape, sentenced to 12 years.
- Sarfraz Rabnawaz, 39, of Bradford, found guilty of two counts of rape, sentenced to 9 years.
In 2018 an investigation was launched into the sexual abuse of a girl in the Calderdale area between 2001 and 2002. She was aged between 12 and 13 at the time of offending.
Trial December 2023 at Bradford Crown Court
- Craig Mitchell, 55 of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 12 years.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith of Calderdale District Police, said:
“Firstly, I want to acknowledge the sheer courage of the victims and survivors in each of these investigations; not only for having the bravery to come forward initially but also for enduring the criminal justice system and the weight of criminal trials and reporting restrictions in place.
“Due to legal restrictions, it has not been possible to publicise these outcomes until now. I welcome the sentences handed to these offenders for the abhorrent abuse these young girls were subjected to, which was heard by the jurors in each trial over the last few years.
“Tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse is a top priority for West Yorkshire Police and our partners. This is an abhorrent crime which has a lifelong impact on victims and survivors. I hope highlighting the prosecution of these offenders will serve as a reminder that we will continue to do all we can to put perpetrators behind bars and protect victims and survivors.
“It’s never too late to report child sexual abuse. I encourage anyone who was abused as a child to speak to someone and seek support. Reports of non-recent abuse are handled by officers who are specially trained in supporting victims and survivors and dealing with such sensitive cases.”
To report child sexual abuse and exploitation, please contact us online live chat system or by calling 101. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or vulnerable to harm, please call 999.
We support a national campaign which encourages victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation to reach out for support. For more information, please visit our dedicated page on the website - ‘When you are ready’ campaign | West Yorkshire Police or through the national website