Manchester paedophile who fled court just before guilty verdict may have fled to Pakistan - police

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have issued an urgent appeal for information on the whereabouts of a Rusholme man who fled court during an unsupervised lunch break just moments before he was convicted of sex crimes against children. Tariq Javed, 37, has links to the Manchester and Stockport areas but it is feared he may already have fled to Pakistan or be in the process of doing so.

The incident happened on 29 February at Minshull Street Crown Court where Javed was in the dock accused of eight serious sexual offences, including rape, against a child aged under 13. Under the terms of his bail he was permitted to take a break within the confines of the building but when court reconvened after lunch he had disappeared. He was found guilty in his absence and sentencing has been set for 21 March. A warrant for Javed's arrest has been issued.

Detective Inspector Ian Cottrell, from Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: "Javed has been convicted of incredibly serious offences committed against children. He is thought to be a flight risk and warnings have been put in place at ports and airports to ensure he does not escape the country, but faces punishment for his atrocious crime. I would like to make very clear that anyone found to be sheltering Javed will face arrest and prosecution."

A previous appeal to locate Javed was circulated by GMP in 2014. Then, Det Con Steve Rothery said: "Javed is a wanted for a serious sexual assault and does pose a risk to the public. I would ask that the public do not approach him, but immediately contact police if they do see him."

Anyone with information of Javed's whereabouts is asked to call police on 101. They can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 (free), or visit its website at: crimestoppers-uk.org/.