Britain’s Rochdale Grooming Ring Leader Sentenced to 35 Years Following Decades of Abuse

Image: Jihad Watch

In a shocking conclusion to one of Britain’s most notorious cases of child exploitation, Mohammed Zahid, the ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Zahid and six other men, all of Pakistani heritage, were found guilty of 30 counts of rape, exploiting two young girls over a five-year period between 2001 and 2006. The case marks the latest chapter in a long history of grooming scandals in Rochdale, where victims often endured years of abuse before justice was delivered.

A Failure of Protection

The court heard how the victims, both living in challenging circumstances, were repeatedly failed by social services and law enforcement. Astonishingly, one of the girls, who was residing in a children’s home at the time, was dismissed by social workers as having been “prostituting” herself since the age of ten. This systemic neglect allowed Zahid and his associates to continue their predatory behavior with impunity, believing themselves to be “untouchable.”

Earlier this year, under immense pressure from victims, campaigners, politicians, and social media scrutiny, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged to launch a national inquiry into the true scale of the scandal.

The Methods of Manipulation

Zahid, 65, known as “Knickerman” for his lingerie stall at Rochdale Indoor Market, used his position to lure the girls. Offering free underwear, small amounts of money, alcohol, and food, he groomed the victims with the expectation of sexual favors for himself and his associates. The court described the girls’ experiences as horrifyingly systematic, with abuse occurring “whenever and wherever” the men demanded—whether in filthy flats, disused warehouses, cars, or car parks.

The victims were then passed among a network of taxi drivers and takeaway staff across northern England, further expanding the circle of abusers. By the time of the trial, the girls had endured abuse at the hands of hundreds of men.

Exploitation Centered Around the Market

Three of the gang members, including Zahid, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, and Kasir Bashir, 50, were stallholders at the centuries-old Rochdale Indoor Market, a hub that has been central to the town’s trade since its charter in 1251. Zahid exploited the market’s popularity with young girls, using his “friendly” façade and giveaways to lure them into a network of abuse. Fellow traders recalled his inappropriate behavior but were unaware of the full extent of his crimes.

Once the market closed, the victims were taken to Maria Fashions, a shop run by co-defendant Mushtaq Ahmed. In the shop’s cellar, the girls were forced to strip before being sexually assaulted on a “rancid” mattress. As the abuse progressed, Zahid began passing the girls on to paedophile taxi drivers for payment, further dehumanizing them. One victim later revealed that she had been assaulted by close to 100 men during this period.

Continuing Legacy of Grooming Rings

Zahid, a father of three, had been living off benefits since his release from a five-year sentence in 2016. This conviction marks the eighth successful prosecution of a gang of mainly Pakistani heritage involved in grooming girls in Rochdale during the early 2000s, highlighting a persistent pattern of exploitation in the area.

The case has reignited calls for stronger safeguards for vulnerable children and a reevaluation of systemic failures that allowed such abuse to persist unchecked for decades.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)