Rotherham child sex offender who went on the run for five years now faces jail after guilty verdict
A Rotherham child sex offender who fled the country and went on the run for five years is now facing a prison sentence, after a jury found him guilty of indecent assault.
Jurors returned the verdict earlier today (Tuesday, July 30, 2024), following a Sheffield Crown Court trial.
The court heard how Shahid Hussain indecently assaulted a 14-year-old girl in 2003, after grooming her by giving her lifts, alcohol and lifts in his car.
The survivor - who is entitled to lifelong anonymity - told investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) how Hussain began spending time with her, a friend and a second man known to her friend at a local shopping centre when she was 14.
One evening Hussain drove the girl, her friend and the man to a street in Rotherham.
Hussain, who the girl knew by the name ‘Shammy’, asked the girl to talk with him outside the car and they walked away from the vehicle. He led the girl through a gate into a dark area, where he made sexual demands of her.
She refused his requests and Hussain pushed her to the ground and indecently assaulted her. Hussain was arrested when Operation Stovewood officers investigated the allegation some years later.
A spokesperson for the NCA said: He was charged and bailed to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on August 2, 2018 but absconded before he could appear.
“NCA officers identified that Hussain may have left the country, and obtained a European Arrest Warrant.
“After five years on the run, he was caught by Bulgarian police officers on 26 November 2023 as he tried to enter the country from Turkey, at the Kapitan Andreevo border post.
“Hussain was extradited back to the UK and remanded in custody ahead of his trial.”
NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Stuart Cobb, said: “Hussain carried out a vile attack on a vulnerable young girl and when he knew he was going to be held to account, he took the coward’s route by going on the run.
“We have always been determined to put Hussain before the courts. Finally, 21 years after carrying out his crime, he has faced justice.
“The effects of child sexual abuse are deep and long-lasting but I hope that Hussain’s conviction provides the victim with a degree of closure.”
It’s never too late to report child sexual abuse. Non-recent child sexual abuse can be reported to police by calling 101, or in person at a police station. Reports of non-recent abuse are handled by officers who are specially trained in supporting victims and dealing with such sensitive cases.
Martin McRobb, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), added: “Shahid Hussain targeted a child and subjected her to a horrendous sexual assault. He then sought to evade the law by leaving the country.
“I hope this conviction sends a clear message: sex offenders who flee abroad will not escape justice. We will continue to work collaboratively with international partners to ensure perpetrators are returned to face the full force of the law.
“Child sexual abuse causes serious and traumatic consequences. I would like to commend the victim in this case for her courage to come forward to tell the court about what happened to her. It is because of her evidence that we were able to build a strong case.”
Hussain has been remanded in custody, to be sentenced on August 16 during a hearing at the same court at Sheffield Crown Court.
The NCA's Operation Stovewood remains the single biggest investigation of its kind, looking at allegations of abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
NCA officers have identified more than 1,100 victims, and to date 36 people – including Hussain - have been convicted.
More than 50 active investigations remain ongoing.