TARIQ SYED'S HORRIFIC CRIME IN LITTLE HORTON: BRUTAL RAPE AND EXTORTION SHOCK BRADFORD

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Little Horton, Bradford, a 64-year-old man named Tariq Syed was convicted of heinous crimes involving a young girl and an attempt to manipulate her family. The incident dates back to September 2014, when Syed lured a 13-year-old girl into an isolated wooded area, where he committed a grievous sexual assault. The court heard that Syed, who had established a troubling relationship with the girl’s family, drove her to a remote location and subjected her to a brutal assault while she was terrified and screaming for help.

During the trial at Bradford Crown Court, it was revealed that Syed had previously befriended the girl’s family, offering gifts such as phones, clothing, and a tablet computer. His intentions appeared manipulative, and the girl’s mother grew suspicious of his motives. When she confronted her daughter about Syed, who was known locally as “the old man,” the girl disclosed that Syed had taken her from school and had been involved in the assault. The mother then reported the incident to the police after the girl revealed that Syed had forced her into sexual activity.

Prosecutor Sharon Beattie detailed the harrowing account, stating that despite the girl’s screams, Syed threatened to kill her and bury her in the woods if she did not comply. Evidence presented in court included forensic analysis, which confirmed the presence of Syed’s semen on the inside of the girl’s school trousers. Dr. Mark Dale testified that the forensic results were consistent with sexual activity involving the girl.

Syed, during police interviews, attempted to shift blame onto the girl’s mother, claiming she would do anything for money and suggesting she had fabricated the allegations. He also claimed that his semen was already on the trousers before he gave them to the girl and falsely asserted that he had taken her for an abortion at a clinic in Leeds on the day of the assault.

Despite denying the charges of rape and perverting the course of justice, Syed was found guilty by a jury that deliberated for less than two hours. He was acquitted of a separate charge of causing the girl’s mother actual bodily harm, which involved an attack with a knife at a local takeaway where she worked.

Judge David Hatton, QC, sentenced Syed to 13 years in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life. In his sentencing remarks, the judge condemned Syed’s actions, stating, “You took a girl barely into her thirteenth year to an isolated location. You defiled her. You had targeted her for that specific purpose. This offence was a consequence of grooming. You issued threats of what would become of her unless she kept her silence. You terrified her.” The judge also highlighted Syed’s attempt to intimidate the girl’s mother with threats and financial offers, aimed at covering up the crime and escaping justice. The court’s verdict underscores the severity of Syed’s crimes and the community’s demand for justice in this disturbing case.