Man who took £300 to park and offered school girls cash for sex sent to prison

42-year-old from Rochdale emerged from the bushes to stalk teenagers aged 12, 13 and 15

Shahid Razzaq (Greater Manchester Police)

A 42-year-old man who approached teenage girls in a Rochdale park and offered them cash for sex has been jailed for two years and three months.

Shahid Razzaq, 42, was sentenced at a Manchester court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to intentionally attempting to incite a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

The married Rochdale man, a father of two, also pleaded guilty to one count of attempting sexual assault of a girl aged over 16.

Greater Manchester Police condemned the “disgraceful” behaviour and said the perpetrator had shown “a dangerous pattern of offending”.

The court heard how Razzaq had approached a group of young girls aged 12, 13 and 15 after emerging from the bushes in Broadfield Park on the evening of 2 August 2018.

After the two youngest girls ran away when he offered the group cash for sex, he isolated the remaining 15-year-old and offered her increasing sums of money – from £10 up to £70 – to perform a sex act before she too ran away, according to the Manchester Evening News.

It also emerged Razzaq, who police said had been carrying over £300 in cash on the night of the incident, had targeted a 16-year-old girl earlier the same evening.

Approaching her while she waited for a friend outside Rochadale’s Touchstones Museum, he offered a cigarette and asked if she wanted to meet up with him later.

Broadfield Park in Rochdale (Google Maps)

The girl declined and tried to get away, but he stepped in front of her to block her path, made lewd comments and tried to lunge at her.

The prosecutor said Razzaq had told the teenager “you have really nice t*** and a***” before attempting to touch her breast. The Rochdale man later told police claimed his comments were meant as “a joke”.

The 16-year-old victim managed to run off and contacted the police. She was later able to recognise Razzaq in video footage posted on Facebook.

The footage, taken on 2 August, showed Razzaq being confronted in Broadfield Park by a member of the public. After being stopped by the member of the public, Razzaq was arrested and found by police to be carrying around a large wad of cash.

Detective Constable David Read of GMP’s Rochdale District said: “Razzaq exhibited a dangerous pattern of offending, which escalated from inappropriate and lewd advances towards a lone, young woman, to attempts at engaging in sexual activity with minors.

“I have little doubt that he set out that evening in the hope of finding a victim.”

He added: “His behaviour was disgraceful – the actions of an arrogant man who showed utter contempt for the girls he approached, who were simply minding their own business.

“We’re pleased with today’s sentence and hope the girls involved can get on with their lives knowing that this man is off the streets.”

Razzaq was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. He will remain on the sex offenders’ register for the next 10 years and was also handed a sexual harm prevention order that will last for the same amount of time.