Man pleads guilty to raping 13-year-old girl in Rotherham

A man has pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl in Rotherham in the early 2000s.

The CPS prosecuted Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 42, as part of Operation Stovewood, a major National Crime Agency investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013.

Akhtar appeared in Sheffield Crown Court today (17 October 2023) where he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault which he committed between August 2001 and July 2002. 

On multiple occasions during this period, Akhtar picked the victim up in his car and drove her to different locations before raping her.

The defendant groomed the young victim, providing her with alcohol and drugs each time they met.

At the time, the victim was led to believe she was in a relationship with Akhtar, who would threaten to drive her to unknown locations and leave her stranded if she did not comply with his demands for sex.

On one occasion, when she did refuse to engage in sexual activity, she recalled having to walk for hours after she was kicked out of the car by Akhtar in the early hours of the morning.

Akhtar is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence having been convicted in 2018 of sexual offences under a separate sub-operation investigated under Operation Stovewood.

Zoe Becker, Legal Manager for the CPS, said: “Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar targeted the young victim and used drugs and alcohol to groom her for sex.

“The lifelong physical and emotional trauma caused to victims by men like Akhtar cannot be understated. 

“We would like to thank the victim in this case for coming forward and reporting this devastating crime. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA, will continue to relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.

“Last year, to deal with some of the more complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases, we established our dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit to share specialist understanding, build strong cases and increase the amount of successful prosecutions.

“I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police. You are not alone and there is always help available.”