A wanted sex offender from Huddersfield who fled the country while under investigation has been found guilty of five rapes and other offences committed against two teenage girls more than 20 years ago.
Muhammed Khalid, 55, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court of eight offences following a seven-day trial.
The offences took place in the Kirklees area between 2003 and 2006.
Khalid will be sentenced on November 24.
Five Rape Convictions
A jury found Khalid guilty of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against one survivor.
Police said the victim was a vulnerable teenage girl when the offending took place.
Khalid was also found guilty of two offences of supplying Class A drugs to a second victim in 2005.
Fled Country While Under Investigation
Khalid left the UK in 2020 while under investigation by officers examining historic sexual offences committed in Kirklees during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
West Yorkshire Police said extensive enquiries continued after he fled.
Officers did not stop attempts to locate him.
Arrested At Manchester Airport
Khalid was eventually arrested at Manchester Airport on April 23 this year as he arrived back in the UK.
Arrangements had been made with partner agencies to detain him upon his return.
He was taken into custody, charged and appeared before magistrates in Kirklees the following day.
Police Welcome Verdict
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Davis, of Kirklees District Police, welcomed the jury’s decision.
He said Khalid had committed extremely serious offences against young and vulnerable victims.
“He committed multiple rapes over a prolonged period against a vulnerable teenage girl, abusing her in a fashion which can only be described as appalling,” DCI Davis said.
He added that Khalid had also been convicted of supplying Class A drugs to another victim.
Officers Continued Search After Khalid Fled
DCI Davis said investigators never stopped trying to find Khalid after he left the country.
He said arrangements were quickly put in place to arrest him once police became aware of his return to the UK.
The senior officer said the conviction demonstrated that police would continue pursuing justice in non-recent sexual offence investigations regardless of how much time had passed.
Survivors Praised For Coming Forward
Police also praised the two survivors for speaking to officers about the abuse they suffered.
DCI Davis acknowledged the difficulty victims of sexual offences can face when disclosing what happened to them and said police would continue providing support.
Khalid remains due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on November 24.
