'Appalling' Kirklees rapist arrested with luggage as he arrived back in UK
An ‘appalling’ Kirklees sex offender has been convicted of rape after he was arrested with his luggage when arriving back at a UK airport.
Muhammed Khalid from Huddersfield, was found guilty of eight offences including rape, sexual assault and supplying Class A drugs.
He had fled the country in 2020 while under investigation by police looking into Kirklees sex offences in the late 1990s and early noughties.
Police made efforts to find him, before he was eventually arrested on April 23 this year as he arrived back at Manchester Airport.
Khalid, 55, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court of the offences against teenage girls between 2003 and 2006.
Following a seven day trial at Leeds Crown Court, a jury found him guilty of five counts of rape, and an offence of sexual assault against one survivor, with offending taking place in the Kirklees area.
He was also found guilty of two counts of providing Class A drugs to a second victim in 2005.
DCI Phil Davis of Kirklees District Police, said: “We welcome the jury’s verdict today in finding Khalid guilty of very serious offences committed against young and very vulnerable victims more than 20 years ago.“He committed multiple rapes over a prolonged period against a vulnerable teenage girl, abusing her in a fashion which can only be described as appalling. He has also been convicted of supplying Class A drugs to another victim."
He added: “Officers never stopped enquiries to locate Khalid after he fled the country, and arrangements were swiftly put in place with partners to detain him when he arrived back in the UK."