Two men have been handed significant prison sentences for the historic rape of a teenage girl in Rotherham, a crime that occurred more than two decades ago.
Sentences handed down at Sheffield Crown Court
The convictions are the latest result from the major National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation known as Operation Stovewood. Kessur Ajaib, 44, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years for one count of rape and one count of indecent assault. Mohammed Makhmood, 43, received a seven-year jail term for one count of rape.
Both men were found guilty in the summer and sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday, 22 December 2025. Their crimes relate to the same victim, who was aged between 14 and 16 at the time of the offences.
Degrading treatment of the victim
The court heard disturbing details of the abuse during the trial in July. After raping the girl, Mohammed Makhmood subjected her to further humiliation by calling her demeaning names, spitting at her, and laughing at her.
The pair were convicted alongside another man, Sageer Hussain. Hussain was found guilty of raping a different victim, who the NCA said was aged "about 14" at the time. Last month, Hussain received a three-year jail sentence at the same court for the crime, which was committed when he himself was also 14 years old.
Operation Stovewood's ongoing investigation
All three men were investigated by the NCA as part of Operation Stovewood. This is the UK's largest law enforcement investigation into non-familial child sexual exploitation and abuse. It focuses specifically on allegations in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
The sentencing marks another step in the long-running operation, which continues to bring perpetrators of historic abuse to justice years after their crimes were committed.
