Afghan migrant is found guilty of raping two 14-year-old girls at his flat after he plied them with vodka

Published: 00:20, 4 July 2026 | Updated: 00:21, 4 July 2026 An Afghan migrant has been found guilty of raping two 14-year-old girls after he plied them with vodka. Sultani Bakatash, 29, groomed a teenage girl on the social media app Snapchat before he invited her and a friend to his flat in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on December 6 last year. Bolton Crown Court heard that Bakatash got the teenagers drunk and then raped both of them while they were unconscious.    After he carried out his crimes the migrant - who was granted indefinite leave to remain - fled the property but was arrested two days later and the Child Protection Investigation Unit of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched an investigation. Bakatash, who came to the UK with his mother and two sisters in 2022, denied the offences but on Friday was found guilty by a jury and convicted of two counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration following a four-week trial. He will be sentenced on September 19. Giving evidence during the trial, with the assistance of an interpreter, he told the court he felt 'uncontrollably sleepy' at the time of the alleged attack, and briefly dozed off. He said the two girls were being loud and that he asked them to leave his flat. His barrister, Umar Shahzad, asked: 'Did anybody do anything to you?,' to which Mr Bakatash replied, 'I can't say.' Sultani Bakatash (pictured) has been found guilty of raping two 14-year-old girls after he piled them with vodka A court artist sketch of Bakatash. Bolton Crown Court heard that Bakatash got the teenagers drunks and then raped both them while they were unconscious Mr Shahzad then asked whether there was any possibility at all Mr Bakatash could say what they were doing. Three months before the events of December 6, 2025, he said he met one of the girls outside a McDonalds and was eating after going to the gym when the girl, and another person, asked him to buy food for them. 'I said to her I didn't have any more cash or any money on my card but maybe some other time I could buy them food,' Mr Bakatash said. 'She told me she was 18,' he added. He told the court he saw the same girl around two weeks later at Asda. He said: 'She saw me, she came close to me, we greeted each other and I said I needed help regarding sugar. She helped me find sugar because on previous occasions I had mistakenly taken flour instead of sugar.' Mr Bakatash said the girl added him on Snapchat and they messaged occasionally. He said she would screenshot his 'stories' of his time in the military or at the gym. Speaking about the day of the alleged incident, he said he woke up at 2pm before his mother and sisters went to his flat around half an hour later. He said the girl began to message him and call him on Snapchat. 'When I saw her messages, she said the promise I made to buy her food, to take her to McDonald's to buy her food,' he said. Mr Bakatash said he video called the girl before meeting her and the second alleged victim. Asked why he met the girl, Mr Bakatash said: 'I made a promise with her about food, and she helped me.' He said he shared his location so they could meet. He described the two girls as 'very happy and laughing' when he met them, before he went to buy food. He reiterated he believed the girls were 18 or 19. Mr Bakatash said he bought the girls three bottles of vodka. He said he did not drink, smoke or take drugs as he is Muslim and that he bought himself a Monster energy drink. One of the girls took his phone and ordered an Uber taxi to his flat, he said. During the eight-minute journey, he said they were 'giggling, taking selfies and talking amongst themselves'. 'What was your intention?,' Mr Shahzad asked. 'They said to me they want to see my flat, finish their drinks and they would go to town,' Mr Bakatash said. He said the girls were drinking diet Coke and vodka before he decided to take a swig from the bottle. 'I think Satan took over me and I had a drink from the bottle,' Mr Bakatash added. 'It was a very bad taste. It made a sour feeling in my throat.' 'Why did you drink directly from the bottle?,' the barrister asked. 'It looked like water, I thought it might taste good,' he said. He said the girls laughed at his reaction before making him a drink of Diet Coke and vodka. The three continued drinking, emptying one bottle completely, and the majority of a second, he said. Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley, District Commander for Bolton for GMP, said: 'I would like to thank both survivors for their immense bravery during these proceedings. 'Their unwavering strength and courage has been instrumental in securing this conviction. 'Bakatash denied all counts against him. He denied manipulating, grooming and assaulting both girls. He denied the pain and hurt he subjected them to. He showed a blatant disregard for his actions and the long-term impact this would have on the victims. But today a jury rightfully found him guilty on all counts. 'This trial will have been no doubt a difficult time for the girls and their families, and it is only with their support that we have managed to keep Bakatash behind bars.' The Chief Superintendent thanked the CPIU for their hard work and for ensuring Bakatash was in custody within 48 hours of the incident first being reported. She continued: 'No one should ever be subjected to this kind of abuse and my thoughts remain firmly with them as they continue their recovery. 'We hope this outcome sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue those who harm vulnerable people. 'I urge anyone who may have experienced similar abuse to please come forward and report. You will always be listened to, respected, and supported.' No comments have so far been submitted. 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