"I have evidence against that paedophile."
Nazir Ahmed, formerly Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, has been convicted of two historic child sex offences.
The 64-year-old former Labour peer sexually assaulted a boy under 11 and attempted to rape a young girl in the early 1970s.
Prosecutor Tom Little QC told Sheffield Crown Court that Ahmed had attempted to rape the girl when he was aged 16 or 17 but she was much younger.
He also sexually assaulted the boy during the same period.
In 2016, the woman went to the police. Ahmed denied the allegations, claiming they were a “malicious fiction”.
The woman later spoke to the male victim on the phone.
A recording of the conversation showed the allegations were not “made-up or concocted”.
In the recording, the woman said to the man:
“What they did to you was utterly wrong and it’s time now to seek justice for the little boy who could not protect himself.”
The phone call was prompted by an email from the male victim saying:
“I have evidence against that paedophile.”
Ahmed was charged along with his two brothers, Mohammed Farouq, aged 71, and Mohammed Tariq, aged 65, but both were unfit to stand trial.
Farouq and Tariq faced charges of indecent assault in relation to the same boy Ahmed abused.
While the men did not face a criminal trial, the jury concluded that they did commit the alleged acts.
Following a retrial, Ahmed was convicted of two counts of attempted rape and one of buggery.
Ahmed resigned from the House of Lords in November 2020 after a conduct committee report concluded he had sexually and emotionally exploited a vulnerable woman who sought his help.
It meant he was the first peer to be recommended for expulsion but he resigned before it could be implemented.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, said:
“By these verdicts, the jury has clearly decided that no matter the delay between the offences and the trial, and the defences raised, they could be sure that the accounts of the victims were credible and true.
“One of these defendants held a position of power, influence and responsibility for some time in the House of Lords but this case clearly illustrates that where there is sufficient evidence, even in challenging cases, the CPS will bring a prosecution, put evidence before a jury and see rightful convictions.”
Following his conviction, Ahmed was released on bail.
He will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on February 4, 2022.
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