Overview
- A jury at Bolton Crown Court convicted Sultani Bakatash on Friday, July 3, of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.
- Prosecutors told the court the 29-year-old met the girls after messages on Snapchat, took them to his flat at Georgina Court, Middle Hulton, and encouraged them to drink until they were drifting in and out of consciousness.
- Bakatash denied the offences and told jurors he had lied about his age and claimed military service, but the jury rejected those accounts and found him guilty after about two hours of deliberation.
- Greater Manchester Police’s Child Protection Investigation Unit led the inquiry and both the CPS and GMP publicly thanked the victims for their bravery and said specialist teams will continue to support them.
- Sentencing is listed for September 2026, with some reports giving September 9 and others September 19, and the outcome will determine next steps for victim support and any further police or CPS action.