TRIO CHARGED WITH 46 OFFENCES AFTER MAJOR CHILD GROOMING AND RAPE INVESTIGATION
Three individuals have been formally charged with a total of 46 offenses related to the alleged grooming and sexual abuse of ten girls in Bury.All three men are of British Pakistani descent and are accused of crimes committed against girls aged 14 to 16 during the period from 1996 to 2001.
They are scheduled to appear before Manchester Magistrates’ Court on July 22, 2026.
Ashfaq Khan, aged 46 and residing in Bury, is charged with 36 counts of raping a female under 16, one count of attempted rape of a female under 16, as well as indecent assault and false imprisonment.
Zaheer Iqbal, aged 52 from Accrington, faces four counts of raping a female under 16 and two counts of false imprisonment.
These charges are part of Operation Sky, a comprehensive investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in the Bury area spanning from 1996 to 2002.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police stated that officers are collaborating with trauma-informed support services to ensure the safety and well-being of all those affected, emphasizing that the welfare of victims remains the “number one priority.”
