UMAR ZAMAN, HUDDERSFIELD PAEDOPHILE, ARRESTED IN PAKISTAN AND JAILED IN UK

In a significant development in the fight against child sexual exploitation, Umar Zaman, a 34-year-old man with a dark history linked to Huddersfield, has been apprehended and sentenced to prison after attempting to re-enter the United Kingdom. Zaman was previously part of a heinous grooming gang operating in Huddersfield, where vulnerable teenage girls were systematically abused and exploited.

His criminal activities came to light during an extensive police investigation known as Operation Tendersea, which focused on uncovering and prosecuting historic cases of child sexual exploitation within the Huddersfield area. Zaman was initially arrested as part of this operation, which revealed a disturbing pattern of abuse involving multiple offenders preying on girls as young as 12 years old.

Following his arrest, Zaman was tried and convicted in his absence in November 2019. The jury found him guilty of two counts of raping a teenage girl, leading to a sentence of eight years in prison. The judge overseeing the case condemned the actions of the gang, describing their activities as 'vile and wicked' and emphasizing that their conduct 'defies understanding.'

Despite his conviction, Zaman fled the UK for Pakistan, evading justice for several years. It was only on May 30 of this year that authorities managed to locate and arrest him as he attempted to return to the UK. His arrest took place at an airport, and he was subsequently brought before Leeds Crown Court to face the charges.

In addition to the original sentence, Zaman received an eight-month term for failing to surrender to bail, highlighting his attempt to evade legal proceedings. His case is part of a broader crackdown on child exploitation in Huddersfield, where dozens of men have been sentenced as part of Operation Tendersea. To date, the investigation has resulted in cumulative prison sentences exceeding 470 years for those involved.

The court heard harrowing details of how the gang used drugs, alcohol, and sleeping pills to manipulate and control their victims. Vulnerable girls were passed between men, subjected to repeated abuse, and raped in a pattern that the judge described as 'deliberately created to enable predatory men to perpetrate gross sexual abuse for their own perverted gratification.'

One particularly distressing account involved a 12-year-old girl who was targeted by the gang. Despite her efforts to escape, her location was tracked through her phone, and she was subjected to repeated threats and intimidation. The judge recounted how, on one occasion, a man called her house and explicitly demanded her presence, saying, 'tell her I want to f*** her.'

The girl was moved to another foster home in a different city after her abusers located her again, despite her attempts to stay hidden. Repeated calls from men demanding her return left her terrified, fearing for her life, and expressing her belief that if her foster carer handed over her phone to the police, her abductors would find and kill her.

Another tragic case involved a young girl who was raped and left bleeding in a park after her virginity was forcibly taken. These stories underscore the brutal and calculated nature of the abuse inflicted by the gang, which exploited the trust and innocence of their victims for their own perverted pleasure.