A man who groomed two teenage girls has been jailed for sexual assault.

Hasseb Afzal (28) appeared at Bolton Crown Court, where he was sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual assault against a woman over the age of 16.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and given a lifetime restraining order against two girls aged 16.

From May until July 2024, Afzal (pictured) would pick up the two 16-year-old girls in his car and buy them gifts including jewellery and watches. He also gave them alcohol, nitrous oxide and class A drugs.

On June 8, 2024, Afzal took the victim, a 16-year-old girl, to a pre-booked room at a hotel after giving her money to buy alcohol, where she woke up to him sexually assaulting her by touching her.

An investigation commenced in June 2024 after the parent of the victim reported the abuse to the police.

Following a thorough investigation, Afzal eventually pleaded guilty to one count of digital penetration, one count of sexual assault by touching, and one count of take/make indecent images of a woman aged 16 or over, on January 20.

Detective sergeant Ryan Lovick said: “Afzal preyed upon vulnerable young teenagers, and I am pleased he is now taken off the streets and in prison. 

“Sexual abuse can have a lasting detrimental impact for victims and survivors. Thank you to the brave victim and her family for coming forward and reporting this abuse. 

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, or knows someone who has, to come forward and speak to the police. We will listen to you, and we will work at your pace, when you are ready.” 

Axel Rudakubana (18) has been sentenced to life behind bars, with a minimum term of 52 years, after pleading guilty to murdering three girls.

The twisted teenager, formerly of Old School Close, Banks, pleaded guilty on Monday, which should have been day one of his trial.

Alice da Silva Aguiar (nine), Bebe King (six) and Elsie Dot Stancombe (seven) were murdered in the attack on a Taylor Swift club in Hart Street, Southport.

Rudakubana also admitted 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a kitchen knife over the attack on July 29.

But throughout his sentencing, he kept shouting out that  he “felt ill” and “needed to see a paramedic”. He was removed from the dock at Liverpool Crown Court twice, and medics deemed him well.

The judge, Mr Justice Goose, said if Rudakubana had been 18 at the time of the attack he would have received a whole-life term – meaning no possibility of release.

Extreme violence

He told the court: “There were 26 children at the party, all of them happy and enjoying themselves. He targeted those children for the horrific, extreme violence he was intent upon. It was such extreme violence of the utmost seriousness it was difficult to comprehend.

“I’m sure Rudakubana had a settled and determined intention to kill and would have killed all 26 children.

“Many who have heard the evidence and have seen the CCTV recordings might describe what he did as evil. Who could dispute it? On any view it was at least the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime.

“The harm that Axel Rudakubana caused to each family, each child and to the community has been profound and permanent. The families of Bebe, Elsie and Alice will never recover. The lives of the families of the children who he tried to murder will never be the same.”

The killer even told police after his attack, that he was glad they were dead.

Judge Goose said the killer would be 70 before a parole board would consider releasing him, adding it was “highly likely” he would never be freed.

On the morning of his attack, Rudakubana booked a taxi to the Hart Space where 26 children were attending a Taylor Swift themed yoga and dance workshop.

He was carrying a knife bought on Amazon days earlier and after leaving the taxi without paying, he entered the building and carried out the appalling attack.

A thorough investigation at the home of Rudakubana led to the discovery of weapons, the ingredients necessary to make ricin and evidence that he had searched and viewed violent material online from a number of sources as well as downloading an academic study of an Al-Qaeda training manual.

Family statements

The family of Alice De Silva Aguiar said: “Alice was always a very kind girl, who valued equality and fairness at the core. Alice was a beautiful girl, perfect in every way; loved her school, her friends, music, dance, colourful pens and friendship bracelets. She loved Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter.

“Our dream girl has been taken away in such a horrible, undeserving way that it shattered our souls. Living without Alice is not living at all. It’s a state of permanent numbness. We can’t see her pictures or videos; they take us back to a time when we were so happy and now we’re in constant pain.”

The family of Elsie Dot Stancombe addressed Rudakubana directly in a statement: “The nature of your actions is beyond contempt. You deliberately chose that place, fully aware that there would be no parents present, fully aware that those girls were vulnerable and unable to protect themselves.

“This was not an act of impulse; it was premeditated. You chose that place, that time, and those circumstances, knowing that when we arrived, all we would see was the aftermath of the devastation caused. We were robbed of the opportunity to protect our girls.

“Though you have stolen our daughter from us, you will not take away our determination to honour her memory. We will carry her love, positivity and her legacy forward, no matter how much pain you have caused.

“There is nothing that can undo the damage he has caused, but knowing that he will never be free to cause any harm to vulnerable children again, would give us some small measure of justice.

“Perhaps he will have opportunity to contemplate the fear and terror he inflicted upon those girls and sincerely want the consequences to reflect the irreparable damage he has inflicted.”