International manhunt for Rochdale grooming gang member, 50, who used girl as ‘sex slave' from 13 ‘before fleeing UK'
Kasir Bashir, 50, was a one of the seven men found guilty of sexually exploiting two white teenage girls in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006.
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Bashir, who has been on the run from police for six months, may have fled Britain.
He was a member of the Rochdale grooming gang who preyed on young girls with "deeply troubled home lives" and groomed them as "sex slaves" from the age of 13.
The vile man worked as a market stall holder in Rochdale and was convicted alongside six others of the sexual exploitation of two girls in the town.
In January, just before his trial, in a cowardly attempt to evade justice, Bashir fled.
This prompted an urgent international manhunt for the fiend.
He was found guilty last month alongside six others after the trial went ahead in his absence.
The men, aged between 67 and 41, plied young girls with drugs, cigarettes and alcohol and expected them to have sex "whenever and wherever" the defendants wanted.
The young girls were reportedly abused in filthy flats, on rancid mattresses, in cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses.
The court heard how vile Bashir repeatedly raped and abused a teenager in a dark, dingy flat in Oldham.
Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was told the fiend was in his mid 20s when he exploited the young, vulnerable girl.
Grooming gangs wrecked my daughter's life - and it's still going on now.
Proceedings were derailed a week after Bashir fled when a member of the jury asked about the fiend's absence, which his defence argued showed prejudice.
The trial was later restarted and went ahead with Bashir and six others found guilty of the heinous crimes.
Following the trial Greater Manchester Police announced a manhunt for the vile man with it emerging that he may have fled Britain.
The Manchester Evening News reported that, as part of his bail conditions, Bashir surrendered his passport which means if he left Britain he did so by illegitimate means.
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If the vile man left the country through illegitimate means it will make it much harder for authorities to track him down.
Bashir has been on a police " critical wanted" list since January but has still not been located.
Reports suggest he had been complying with strict bail conditions up to the Thursday before his trial.
These included surrendering his passport, living and sleeping at a given address and attending the Rochdale Police Station once a week.
Three other members of the grooming gang, Mohammed Shahzad, Naheem Akram and Nisar Hussain were also out on bail when Bashir went missing.
Police received intelligence that the trio were planning to leave the country and they were remanded in custody ahead of the trial.
Bashir was convicted in absentia of multiple counts of rape and indecency with a child.
The manhunt for the vile fiend continues as authorities desperately try to track him down and bring him to justice.
Paul Waugh, the MP for Rochdale, said: "It is deeply alarming that this disgusting grooming gang member absconded on the eve of his trial.
'I have written to both the Ministry of Justice and GMP to ask exactly why a suspected child rapist like Bashir was not considered more of a flight risk or more of a danger to society.
'There are serious questions to answer about the assessment of his suitability for bail and why he was not remanded in custody.
"The fact that he is at large will rightly anger many of my constituents.'
Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock is the senior investigation officer on the case, he said: 'The men who committed this horrific abuse have now been found guilty of their abhorrent crimes. One defendant, Kasir Bashir cowardly avoided the whole trial and thought he could escape justice.
'This is in stark contrast to the survivors who gave brave and painful testimony over the four-month trial in front of the men that so badly abused them. We will do all we can to find Bashir and ensure justice is fully served for them.
'Time was no barrier to bringing these groomers to justice, and Bashir evading the trial, will not stop us ensuring he now faces the full consequences of his actions.'
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