Keighley child sex abuse ring
In Keighley and Bradford, West Yorkshire, a group of 12 men abused two under‑age girls. The main victim was 13–14 years old during the attacks in 2011–2012. In December 2015, a Bradford Crown Court jury found them guilty of rape and other sexual offences, and in February 2016 they were sentenced to a total of 130 years in jail.
The main victim was groomed with gifts and affection before being forced into sexual acts. Rapes happened in places including parks, churchyards and an underground car park, where the attackers even marked “X’s corner” with graffiti. One sustained attack involved five men.
An 11th defendant, Mohammed Akram, was found guilty of sexual activity with a child. Four others were found not guilty, and one man will face a retrial. Khalid Mahmood had already pleaded guilty to five counts of rape before the trial. Arif Chowdhury, described as the ringleader, had fled to Bangladesh and was arrested in June 2022, later being sentenced to eight years in prison.
Judge Roger Thomas QC said the defendants showed contempt and arrogance during the case and had treated the girl as an object. The victim now suffers from post‑traumatic stress disorder and depression. Police praised the courage of the victims and called child sexual exploitation a serious crime.
Local officials also commented on the case. Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson welcomed the sentences and pledged to continue the fight against child sexual exploitation. MP Kris Hopkins linked the convictions to a pattern of grooming by some groups of men and urged ongoing action to help victims.
Those found guilty were named as: Sufyan Ziarab, Bilal Ziarab, Yasser Kabir, Hussain Sardar, Nasir Khan, Saqib Younis, Israr Ali, Faisal Khan, Zain Ali, Tanqueer Hussain, Mohammed Akram and Khalid Mahmood.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:11 (CET).