Child abuser from Leeds fled to Scotland during trial before being caught and jailed for 13 years

Imran Ijaz, 39, of Lascelles View, Harehills, was convicted of assault by penetration, causing a child to watch a sexual act and six counts of sexual assault following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in August.

He was convicted in his absence after he failed to attend court on the fourth day of the trial.

He was subsequently arrested in Edinburgh later that month and returned to Leeds to be remanded in custody.

Ijaz was given a sentence of thirteen years and two months.

Detective Inspector Emma Wight, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “Ijaz sexually abused this vulnerable young girl repeatedly in circumstances that were a huge betrayal of trust.

“His actions have had a significant traumatic impact on the victim and on her family, and we hope that his conviction for these offences and the significant sentence he has received will help to reassure them as they continue to move forward with their lives.

“This successful outcome results from some excellent work by DC Nicki Vincent who painstakingly built up a comprehensive picture of the evidence that saw Ijaz convicted at court.

“He tried to evade justice part way through his trial by fleeing to Scotland but was tracked down and brought back to face the consequences.

“We hope the hard work and dedication of specialist safeguarding officers to bring offenders such as Ijaz to justice will give victims of other similar offences the confidence to come forward.”