Lord Ahmed, a former Labour peer, has been sentenced to prison for child sex offences.

Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, a disgraced former Labour peer, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for sexually abusing two children in the 1970s.

In January, he was convicted guilty of a violent sexual assault on a child as well as the attempted rape of a young girl.

The abuse occurred while he was a youngster in Rotherham, according to Sheffield Crown Court.

Mr Justice Lavender, in passing sentence, stated that his actions had "deep and permanent effects" on the victims.

Lord Ahmed, also known by his birth name Nazir Ahmed, was accused of attempting to rape the girl twice in the early 1970s, when he was 16 or 17 and she was much younger.

The attack on the youngster, who was under the age of 11, occurred around the same time.

The 64-year-old had disputed the allegations, calling them "malicious fiction," but a phone recording of a discussion between the two victims in 2016 revealed that they were not "made-up."

More Yorkshire tales can be found here.

Victim wants that a sex abuse peer be stripped of his rank.

According to the judge, the offences were "so heinous" that only a prison term could be justified.

He stated, " "Your acts have had a severe and lifelong impact on the girl and boy, who have lived with the consequences of what you did to them for 46 to 53 years.

"Their statements express more eloquently than I could possibly express how your actions have impacted and continue to impact their lives in so many varied and terrible ways."

The attempted rape victim, who asked not to be identified owing to the nature of the crimes, said she had lived with "an enormous sense of shame."

She stated in court: "It was a burden I was forced to bear, and it kept me silent for years.

"It's time for me to hand over that weight to him - the paedophile who, as far as I'm aware, has no personal shame."

In a personal statement delivered in court, the male victim, who cannot be identified, said: "For years, I buried the abuse and carried it with me on my own.

"I'm ashamed of what these men have done to me."

Both the judge and the defendant in today's court number seven at Sheffield Crown Court could potentially be addressed as "my Lord," "your Lordship," or any other version of the title.

In a fine suit and tie, Lord Ahmed sat in the dock, listening to barristers and a judge consider his sentencing.

One of the victims came out to testify about the influence the peer of the realm had on her life.

"He is a paedophile who has no remorse for his actions. All tyrants, however, eventually fall "she stated

"This is not about revenge, this is about justice," the second victim stated in a statement.

As part of that justice, Lord Ahmed's title should be removed and he should be identified by his real name, Nazir Ahmed.

They don't want him to impress anyone else with his title again.

The judge told him that his acts had a long-term impact on his victims. He took a seat to listen to the judge, but he was emotionless.

Ahmed picked up his bag, waved goodbye to his family, and walked through a door to begin his five-and-a-half-year sentence.

Ahmed resigned from the House of Lords in November 2020 after a conduct committee report indicated that he had sexually and emotionally exploited a vulnerable woman who sought his care. Ahmed was convicted after a retrial.

An investigation into his actions was launched after a BBC Newsnight report.

There have been calls for his title to be revoked. This would necessitate a Parliamentary Act, but there is now none.

Ahmed and his two older brothers, Mohammed Farouq, 71, and Mohammed Tariq, 65, were charged together, but both were found unable to stand trial.

Both had been charged with indecent assault in relation to the same boy who had been molested by Ahmed.

Despite the fact that the men were not charged criminally, jurors came to the conclusion that they did do the claimed offences after hearing evidence in the case.

After the judge determined that the only other two choices - a hospital order or a supervision order - would not be appropriate in this case, both men were issued absolute releases.

Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for Rotherham, praised the victims' "courage, bravery, and determination.

She stated, " "The verdict in this case sends a strong message to criminals: no matter how powerful or powerful you are, justice will be delivered, no matter how long it takes.

"Mr. Ahmed's ability to keep his peerage is a mockery of our honours system. I encourage the government to introduce legislation that will allow him to lose his title."