Three men charged with 46 offences in Bury child abuse case

Three men have been charged with a combined 46 offences following a major police investigation into historical child sexual exploitation in Bury, Greater Manchester. The defendants, identified as Ashfaq Khan, 46, of Bury; Zaheer Iqbal, 52, of Accrington, Lancashire; and Qamar Jehangeer, 44, of Bolton, are scheduled to make their first court appearance on July 22, 2026.

The charges stem from Operation Sky, a complex and sensitive investigation by Greater Manchester Police into alleged offences against ten girls. According to police, the alleged crimes occurred between 1996 and 2003, with the victims aged between 12 and 16 at the time. The specific charges against the men include assault of a female under the age of 16, attempted assault, indecent assault, and false imprisonment.

Ashfaq Khan faces the most charges, with 36 counts encompassing all the listed offence types. Zaheer Iqbal has been charged with four counts of assault and two counts of false imprisonment. Qamar Jehangeer faces four counts of assault. The allegations have not yet been tested in court, and the defendants are entitled to a fair trial.

In a statement, Greater Manchester Police emphasized that safeguarding...