Taxi driver plied girls with alcohol and drugs then raped them.

Taxi driver jailed for 33 years for rape and abuse

Mohammed Saleem, 42, was sentenced to 33 years in prison for a horrifying campaign of abuse against two young girls in the 1990s. Saleem, of Rochdale, groomed the two girls, aged 14 and 15, at the time, plying them with alcohol and drugs before raping them. He was found guilty of 31 offences, including multiple counts of rape, indecent assault, and voyeurism.

The court heard that Saleem met the girls at the house of an older associate and gave them lifts in his taxi. He then used alcohol and cannabis to manipulate and abuse them. One of the victims was subjected to abuse for over 17 years, including Saleem installing spyware on her computer to track her internet activity.

In a victim personal statement, one of the women said: "I often reflect on how my childhood was full of abuse instead of love and protection. I feel ashamed by what happened." The other woman said: "It's impossible to put into words how I have been personally affected by the last 32 years. 'I became an empty shell' My whole life was destroyed - I lost my identity when I was just a child."

Sentencing Saleem, Judge Tina Landale said: "You saw her as your possession. You have no remorse, and your report identifies that you find you have done nothing wrong. You are capable of deceiving those closest to you. You have no empathy at all or insight into the damage you have caused. You believe you are entitled to sex whenever you want."

Detective Constable Sarah Hayfield of GMP's Rochdale district said: "This man preyed on their vulnerabilities as young girls and exploited them for his own sickening pleasure. He then went onto control and abuse one of the victims for 17 years. This was a horrific ordeal that has no doubt left a damaging and haunting impact on those lives affected. I hope this sentencing sends a clear message that child sexual exploitation and domestic abuse is abhorrent and will never be acceptable."