An Afghan national who raped and sexually assaulted two 14-year-old girls after meeting one of them through Snapchat has been jailed. Sultani Bakatash, 29, invited the two teenagers to his home in Georgina Court, Bolton, on 6 December after making contact with one of the girls through the social media platform. Bolton Crown Court heard the girls drank vodka and Coke at the property and became so intoxicated that they were passing in and out of consciousness. Prosecutors said Bakatash encouraged the teenagers to continue drinking while consuming only a small amount of alcohol himself. He then raped and sexually assaulted the girls while they were heavily intoxicated.
Girl escaped and raised alarm
During the ordeal, one of the teenagers managed to escape from the flat and sought help from a neighbour. She told them: “He’s trying to rape my friend. She’s locked in. He’s raping her.” The court heard that both girls became so intoxicated they lost consciousness at points and each witnessed the other being raped or sexually assaulted. Charlotte Rimmer, prosecuting, said Bakatash had arranged to meet the teenagers, encouraged them to drink and then took the opportunity to sexually assault them. She described him as “a man, intent on sexual gratification, regardless of what they wanted”. Following a four-week trial, Bakatash was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration. The court also heard that Bakatash had previously worked with the British Army in Afghanistan. The judge indicated that this could be relevant to whether he could ultimately be deported. Bakatash has now been jailed following his convictions.
Originally published by UKNIP.
