Smirking ringleader of gang exploiting young girls can now be named

Shabir Ahmed, 59, led a child sex exploitation ring of nine men who targeted vulnerable young girls in the Rochdale and Oldham areas of Greater Manchester.

He was jailed for 19 years last month but Ahmed – known to his victims by the nickname “Daddy” –could not be named as he was awaiting trial on separate child rape charges.

Yesterday he was convicted of 30 charges of rape by a jury at Manchester Crown Court and Judge Mushtaq Khokhar lifted reporting restrictions, allowing his identification for the first time. Ahmed smirked as the jury returned the unanimous verdicts.

Rachel Smith, opening the case for the prosecution, had told the jury how he had repeatedly raped his young Asian victim for more than a decade, with the abuse happening on an almost weekly basis.

“The defendant treated (her) as some sort of possession to be used for his own sexual gratification, as and when he chose.”

Judge Khokhar adjourned sentencing until August 2 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

In the earlier case held in Liverpool Ahmed and the nine other men were convicted of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16.

He was also convicted of two counts of rape, aiding and abetting a rape, sexual assault and a count of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Judge Clifton called the defendant an “unpleasant and hypocritical bully”. Ahmed claimed in court that the case against him was a racist conspiracy.

Despite the comments from Judge Clifton, Greater Manchester Police denied there was a racial or cultural element to the gang’s crimes and said it was about adults abusing vulnerable children.

The offences happened in and around Rochdale in 2008 and 2009.