'Dangerous sexual predator' jailed after raping vulnerable woman on Burnley to Manchester bus

A man has been jailed for ten years after he raped a vulnerable woman on a bus.

Rahmat Qalander targeted the woman on the X43 bus from Burnley to Manchester on 1 February.

He sat next to his victim upstairs before forcing her to go to the back of the bus where he raped her.

He then got off the bus in Manchester and the victim, who is in her 20s and "has a number of vulnerabilities", reported what happened to the driver, and police were called.

Following enquiries, Qalander was identified and arrested. He was charged with the rape, and a second sexual assault on a 16-year-old girl, which took place on a bus in Nelson on 6 February.

Qalander, 23, was classed as a dangerous offender by the judge at Preston Crown Court. He was told he must serve two thirds of the ten-year sentence before he is released. He will then be on licence for a further three years.

Temp Det Chief Insp Sarah Denson, of East CID, said: "Qalander is clearly a dangerous sexual predator who targeted lone and vulnerable young women to carry out his offending.

"I would like to commend the victims in this case for their bravery in disclosing what happened to them and for having the courage to go through the court process.

"I am pleased that justice has been served for them and for the wider community who will be protected from this dangerous offender for many years."

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