BILAL HUSSAIN FROM CHEETHAM HILL JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING 13-YEAR-OLD SCHOOLGIRL IN BRADFORD

In a case that has shocked the local community, Bilal Hussain, a 26-year-old man from Cheetham Hill, Manchester, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for engaging in sexual activities with a 13-year-old girl in Bradford. The incident, which took place over a series of encounters, involved Hussain traveling across the Pennines to meet the underage girl, raising serious concerns about grooming and exploitation.

According to court proceedings, Hussain initially established contact with the girl through BBM, the Blackberry messaging service. During their conversations, he falsely claimed to be 19 years old, although he was actually 24 at the time. The prosecution revealed that Hussain was aware of her age because he met her on multiple occasions and was able to identify her as underage, notably by picking her up while she was dressed in her school uniform.

Prosecutor Sophie Drake explained that Hussain directly asked the girl if she would have sex with him. Her response was uncertain, but on one particular day in January 2013, he drove her to a secluded spot in the early morning hours when it was dark. There, in his Volkswagen Golf, he engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse with her. The girl also performed a sexual act on him before he subsequently took her to school.

Miss Drake further detailed that Hussain had two additional sexual encounters with the girl in his car on separate occasions. The relationship was eventually terminated, and the girl reported the incidents to authorities. During the investigation, she presented officers with an explicit text message Hussain had sent her, along with a photograph of himself. These pieces of evidence played a crucial role in establishing his involvement.

Hussain was arrested and initially denied any knowledge of the girl or traveling to Bradford to meet her. He also claimed that his Volkswagen Golf was off the road at the time due to an accident. However, identification procedures confirmed his involvement, as the girl positively identified him during an ID parade. Further inquiries using the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system revealed that Hussain’s vehicle was indeed traveling along the M62 at the relevant times, corroborating the girl’s account.

During the trial, Hussain admitted to four charges of sexual activity with a child. His legal representative, Adam Watkins, acknowledged that Hussain now understood the gravity of his actions. He emphasized that, despite the girl’s apparent physical maturity, she lacked the emotional maturity necessary to make informed decisions about such relationships at the age of 13. Watkins also pointed out that the girl was sexually experienced prior to their meetings and that there was no coercion or threats involved, asserting that she consented to the encounters. Nonetheless, the judge noted that there was an element of grooming in Hussain’s contact with the girl.

Hussain’s health issues were also highlighted during sentencing. He has been suffering from health problems since a heart attack in May 2013 and is on medication for depression. His legal team argued that imprisonment would be particularly difficult for him given his medical condition.

Judge Christopher Batty sentenced Hussain to three and a half years in prison. While acknowledging the references provided on his behalf, which painted a different picture of his character, the judge emphasized that Hussain’s primary motive was sexual gratification. The judge stated, “It was never your intention to see her in any other capacity or give her any other relationship.”

The judge also remarked on the vulnerability of the girl, describing her as a troubled schoolchild who was not emotionally mature enough to make significant life decisions. He condemned Hussain’s actions, noting that he engaged in unprotected sex with her on three occasions without regard for the possibility of pregnancy, which she mistakenly believed she had at one point. The girl only ceased contact after an incident where she damaged Hussain’s SIM card in anger, likely realizing how she had been used and exploited in the process.