In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that Riyasth Hussain, then 45, was found guilty of multiple counts of historical rape following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). On Tuesday, 17 February 2026, Hussain appeared at Sheffield Crown Court, where a jury convicted him for attacks committed against a child and a woman approximately 20 years ago. The court reported that the investigation was part of Operation Stovewood, the NCA’s dedicated inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
The investigation established that between 2004 and 2006, Hussain—then 24—targeted a 13-year-old girl by posing as a helpful stranger during a street confrontation in Rotherham. He later lured the child into his vehicle and drove her to an empty industrial estate, where he pulled her from the car and raped her before abandoning her. The NCA reported that a second rape occurred after Hussain arranged to meet the girl and drove her to a desolate field. Separately, Hussain was identified as the perpetrator of a 2008 attack in which he entered a woman’s room at a property and raped her without warning.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Hussain had used his connections to a local taxi firm and his vehicle to facilitate his predatory behaviour in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Sheffield Crown Court heard how the victims, now adults, provided critical descriptions of their attacker and the vehicles he used. The judge noted that the bravery of both women in participating in identification procedures decades after their ordeals was instrumental in securing the guilty verdicts. Operation Stovewood investigators utilised digital and physical corroborating evidence to link the nickname “Riaz” to Hussain and confirm his identity across both cases.
The judge noted that Hussain had denied the charges, necessitating a week-long trial that forced his victims to recount the “traumatic” events of the 2000s. For his actions in Rotherham, he was remanded in custody immediately following the jury’s decision. The prosecution reported that the conviction represents a significant milestone for Operation Stovewood in bringing long-term predators to justice for historical offences committed across South Yorkshire.
Trial Verdict and Statutory Requirements
Following the trial at Sheffield Crown Court, Riyasth Hussain was subject to:
- Verdict: Found guilty of multiple counts of rape.
- Custody Status: Remanded in custody pending sentencing.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are in effect for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentence scheduled for Thursday, 19 February 2026, at Sheffield Crown Court.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Hussain is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by South Yorkshire Police, the National Crime Agency, and the prison estate. Due to the “desolate and predatory” nature of the rapes in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, his management is subject to the highest level of oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Hussain must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence for the rest of his life. Authorities state that his history of targeting a child in public spaces and a woman in a domestic setting necessitates permanent and intense scrutiny. Any breach of his registration conditions or his future licence terms will result in immediate arrest and a return to Sheffield Crown Court.
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