Grooming gang beast gets four more years for abusing child

A MEMBER of a Huddersfield grooming gang has been handed more jail time for the sexual abuse of a child.

Asif Bashir, 35, was already serving an 11-year sentence for rape and attempted rape, having been sentenced in November 2018 as part of Operation Tendersea.

He will now serve a further four years for two offences of sexual touching of a child under 16 and two offences of inciting sexual activity with a child under 16.

Bashir abused his young victim between 2005 and 2007 in the Huddersfield area.

He was caught as part of West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Tendersea, which is a long-running investigation into non-recent child sexual abuse in Kirklees.

Bashir is the 35th suspect to be sentenced as part of the operation, which has focused on investigating and jailing men responsible for sexually abusing young girls in Huddersfield

between 1995 and 2011.

Suspects have so far been sentenced to a combined total of 393 years in prison as part of Operation Tendersea.

Bashir, from Huddersfield, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court and will serve the additional four years consecutive to his original 11-year sentence.

Detective Chief Inspector Tanya Wilkins said: “This latest sentencing represents another step forwards in securing justice for victims of nonrecent child sexual offending in Kirklees. Both the police and CPS always maintained Bashir was fully aware of the defendant’s young age when he committed these offences against her and the jury clearly felt this to be the case in returning guilty verdicts for the four offences he was tried for.

“I want to praise the courage of the victim in this case for coming forward to report the abuse she suffered and then give evidence against this predatory sex offender.”