A 55-year-old man who fled the United Kingdom to evade an investigation into historical sexual exploitation has been convicted of eight serious criminal offences at Leeds Crown Court after being intercepted at Manchester Airport.
Muhammed Khalid, 55, of Huddersfield, appeared before the court for a seven-day trial concerning offences committed against two teenage girls in the Kirklees area between 2003 and 2006.
The prosecution outlined that Khalid had originally been questioned as part of an extensive inquiry by West Yorkshire Police into sexual offences committed across Kirklees during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2020, while the investigation was ongoing, Khalid absconded from the country in an attempt to escape prosecution.
Detectives pursued multiple lines of enquiry to locate the fugitive. On 23 April 2026, police intercepted Khalid at Manchester Airport as he re-entered the country, arresting him in possession of his travel luggage. He was transported directly to a police custody suite, charged with multiple counts on indictment, and brought before magistrates in Kirklees the following day.
During his trial at Leeds Crown Court, the jury heard evidence relating to the systematic targeting of two teenage girls. Jurors deliberated following the week-long trial, returning unanimous guilty verdicts across eight charges:
Five counts of rape relating to the first survivor
One count of sexual assault relating to the first survivor
Two counts of supplying Class A controlled drugs relating to a second victim in 2005
The Crown Court judge remanded Khalid in custody without bail. He is scheduled to return to Leeds Crown Court on 24 November 2026, where a lengthy custodial sentence will be determined alongside statutory registration on the Sex Offenders Register and protective behavioural orders.
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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