Rochdale man jailed for grooming and sexually abusing three girls
A man has been jailed for grooming and sexually assaulting three teenage girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
Arshad Mohammad, 44, of Merefield Street, Rochdale, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of both sexual activity with a child and meeting a child after sex grooming.
Police said he groomed two girls aged 14 and another, 15, using social media.
At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court Mohammad was jailed for four years and eight months.
'Gratify his sexual needs'
Police said he befriended two of the victims when they were 14 and 15 between May and November 2012.
He bought them gifts including cigarettes and alcohol, as well as giving them money, said police.
He later took them to a flat in Rochdale where he sexually assaulted them.
In October, Mohammed befriended another girl and after buying her gifts she too was sexually assaulted.
Mohammed also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
Det Con Laura Crossley said: "Mohammed used money and gifts to pull the wool over the girls' eyes to gratify his own sexual needs.
"However, thanks to their bravery in coming forward, he was identified and brought to justice."
Greater Manchester Police said the investigation was carried out by the Sunrise team, the force's partnership with Rochdale Council which aims to reduce the number of vulnerable children being sexually exploited and prosecute offenders.