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Justice / child sexual exploitation

Kasir Bashir

Documented profile covering 12 controversies, including “2001–2006 / 2025: Operation Lytton — two rapes, two counts of indecency with a child and 29 years in prison” and “January 2025: absconds before trial, tried and sentenced in his absence”.

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Profile No. 1251 · Updated on 25 September 2026

12Documented controversies
15Sources
1Formal charge · all time1 followed by a conviction
1Conviction

I. Documented controversies

Case · 11 documented stages

2001–2006 / 2025: Operation Lytton — two rapes, two counts of indecency with a child and 29 years in prison

Conviction
01

2001–2025-10-01

2001–2006 / 2025: Operation Lytton — two rapes, two counts of indecency with a child and 29 years in prison

Conviction

The offences took place in and around Rochdale between 2001 and 2006. Girl B was 13 when the abuse began and was living in a children's home. Bashir was a trader at Rochdale Indoor Market, as were Mohammed Zahid and Mushtaq Ahmed. Girl B testified that she was regularly taken to the basement of Ahmed's shop and then to a house in Chadderton/Oldham, where Bashir was among the men who abused her. She described the girls as having been 'passed around', and the prosecution described the two victims as having become 'sex slaves'. Court reports also indicated that after several months of abuse, Girl B became pregnant and gave birth at 14, with Bashir identified as the father. His defence denied the allegations and argued, among other things, that there had been only one sexual encounter, which he described as consensual, and no sexual activity at the Chadderton address. Nevertheless, the jury found him guilty of two rapes and two counts of indecency with a child. He was sentenced to 29 years' imprisonment on 1 October 2025.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 10

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men convicted for sexually exploiting children in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men jailed for raping and abusing girls in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  3. [3]
  4. [4]
  5. [5]
Show 5 more sources
  1. [6]
  2. [7]
  3. [8]
    Greater Manchester PoliceSeven men jailed for more than 170 years following GMP investigation into non-recent CSEOfficial documentVery high reliability
  4. [9]
    Greater Manchester PoliceMen who groomed girls for sex in Rochdale brought to justiceOfficial documentVery high reliability
  5. [10]

Last verified: 9 September 2026

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03

2001–2006; conviction 2025

2001–2006: convicted on two counts of indecency with a child

Conviction

The jury found Bashir guilty of two counts of indecency with a child, distinct from the two rape counts.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men convicted for sexually exploiting children in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

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04

2023-01/2025

2023–January 2025: complies with weekly bail reporting and surrenders passport, then disappears immediately before trial

Formally charged

Bashir had reported weekly under his bail conditions since being charged in 2023 and had surrendered his passport. Nevertheless, he failed to appear immediately before the January 2025 trial began.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Greater Manchester PoliceOfficers hunt wanted man convicted of non-recent child sex offences in RochdaleOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]

Last verified: 10 September 2026

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05

2025

2025: tried in his absence after leaving the jurisdiction

Conviction

The trial proceeded without Bashir. The court instructed the jury not to speculate on the reasons for his absence and emphasised that his right to a fair trial remained intact.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

06

2025-06-13

13 June 2025: convicted in his absence of two rapes and two counts of indecency with a child; actively wanted

Conviction

The jury found Bashir guilty of two rapes and two counts of indecency with a child. GMP immediately confirmed that he was wanted and launched a nationwide appeal to locate him.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men convicted for sexually exploiting children in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Greater Manchester PoliceOfficers hunt wanted man convicted of non-recent child sex offences in RochdaleOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

07

2025-10-01

1 October 2025: sentenced to 29 years in prison in his absence; still unlocated according to GMP

Conviction

Bashir was sentenced to 29 years' imprisonment in his absence. GMP stated that efforts to locate him were still ongoing.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men jailed for raping and abusing girls in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Greater Manchester PoliceSeven men jailed for more than 170 years following GMP investigation into non-recent CSEOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

08

2023-05-02

2 May 2023: charged with six offences in Operation Lytton

Formally charged

GMP announced six charges against Bashir, including rape and gross indecency with an underage girl.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Greater Manchester PoliceGMP CSE Major Investigation Team charges further 11 men in connection with Operation LyttonOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

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09

2001–2006

2001–2006: grooming of Girl B by Rochdale market trader

Conviction

Kasir Bashir, a market trader, was among the men who, together with Zahid and Ahmed, gained Girl B's trust when she visited Rochdale Market.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men jailed for raping and abusing girls in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

10

2001–2006

2001–2006: sexual abuse of Girl B in basement of Ahmed's shop

Conviction

Girl B testified that she was regularly taken to the basement of Ahmed's shop, where Bashir was among the men with whom she was forced to have sex.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men jailed for raping and abusing girls in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

11

2001–2006

2001–2006: rapes of Girl B in Chadderton house with other men

Conviction

The victim described rapes at a house in Chadderton where Ahmed, Zahid, Bashir and other men were present. Bashir was subsequently convicted of two counts of rape.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 3

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
  3. [3]
    Crown Prosecution ServiceSeven men convicted for sexually exploiting children in RochdaleProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

12

2001–2006

Around 2001–2006: Girl B becomes pregnant and gives birth at 14; Bashir identified as father

Conviction

After months of abuse, Girl B became pregnant and gave birth at 14. ITV reported that Kasir Bashir was the father.

Attribution
Personally implicated

Last verified: 10 September 2026

Add to this entry

02

2025-01

January 2025: absconds before trial, tried and sentenced in his absence

Conviction — against a third party

Protagonist is the victim — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

Greater Manchester Police stated that Bashir had reported weekly as required by his bail conditions since being charged in 2023, including the week before his January 2025 trial, and that his passport had been surrendered under those conditions. Nevertheless, he failed to appear on the first day of trial and absconded. He was subsequently tried in his absence, found guilty in June 2025 and sentenced in his absence to 29 years' imprisonment on 1 October 2025. ITV reported that he had fled the United Kingdom while on bail. GMP described him as a wanted man who was being actively sought. DCI Guy Laycock said he had 'cowardly avoided the whole trial' and that the passage of time had not prevented the perpetrators from being brought to justice and would not prevent Bashir from being apprehended. In her victim impact statement at sentencing, Girl B also criticised his decision to flee rather than face what he had done. Searches conducted up to 9 September 2026 found no subsequent official announcement of his arrest.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled
Protagonist is the victim

Sources · 4

  1. [1]
    Greater Manchester PoliceOfficers hunt wanted man convicted of non-recent child sex offences in RochdaleOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Greater Manchester PoliceSeven men jailed for more than 170 years following GMP investigation into non-recent CSEOfficial documentVery high reliability
  3. [3]
  4. [4]

Last verified: 9 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (5)
  1. Mushtaq Ahmed2 documented references
  2. Mohammed Shahzad1 documented reference
  3. Mohammed Zahid1 documented reference
  4. Naheem Akram1 documented reference
  5. Nisar Hussain1 documented reference

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.

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