Two men who raped a vulnerable girl in Rotherham have been jailed for a total of 15 and a half years
Kessur Ajaib, 44, and Mohammed Makhmood, 43, were aged between 18 and 20 at the time of offending.
Ajaib and Makhmood raped the victim, aged around 14, over a period of more than two years, starting in 1999.
The girl was attacked by Ajaib while out in Rotherham. Ajaib made conversation with the girl and gave her alcohol, before luring her to an alleyway in a residential area where he raped her.
Ajaib was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for the rape and a further three years, to run concurrently, for indecently assaulting the same girl.
Makhmood carried out his attack when he found the girl waiting at a bus stop one evening. He invited her to smoke a cigarette with him, then led her to a nearby graveyard where he raped her.
Makhmood received a seven-year prison sentence for the offence.
Officers arrested Ajaib and Makhmood and then charged them in February 2024. On 23 July 2025, both were found guilty of raping the girl, following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court in which a co-defendant was also convicted of raping a second girl.
Liz Fell, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said: “Ajaib, Hussain and Makhmood deliberately exploited the victimsโ vulnerabilities, abusing them in the most appalling way and leaving a lasting impact on two women who they callously targeted and mistreated as children.
“These defendants have now been held accountable for their horrific crimes. I want to once again thank both women for their immense courage in coming forward and staying engaged throughout the legal process. Their determination and strength in seeing this case through has been crucial in bringing these offenders to justice.
Ajaib and Makhmoodโs co-defendant, Sageer Hussain, 40, of Rotherham, who is already serving a 19-year-jail sentence for raping a girl, was sentenced to a further three years in prison for raping a second girl, on 11 November at Sheffield Crown Court.
Hussain and the girl were both aged about 14 at the time. The girl used to see Hussain around Rotherham town centre. On an occasion between 2000 and 2002, Hussain led the girl down an alleyway, where he told her he would not let her back out unless she had sex with him. She refused but he raped her.
