A man has been jailed in Bolton, Greater Manchester, for allegedly giving alcohol to two 14-year-old girls before raping and assaulting them. Sultani Bakatash, 29, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape, one of sexual assault, and one of assault by penetration. The trial at Bolton Crown Court heard that the girls were lured to Bakatash’s home after being befriended by him on the social media app Snapchat. Once there, they were given vodka and cola, which left them extremely drunk and in and out of consciousness. One of the girls managed to escape and knocked on a neighbor’s door, shouting that Bakatash was “trying to rape her friend” and that she was “locked in.” She later told the neighbor, “He’s raping her,” after freeing herself from the flat at Georgina Court in Bolton. Prosecutors described Bakatash as someone who encouraged the girls to drink heavily while only taking small sips himself. Prosecutor Charlotte Rimmer said he was “a man, intent on sexual gratification, regardless of what they wanted.” Bakatash claimed the girls had initiated and consented to the sexual activity, but later said he couldn’t remember what happened and denied any sexual activity occurred. After the assaults, he fled the property and was arrested two days later while staying at his brother’s house. The court was told the girls suffered severe psychological harm from the incident, which is likely to have lasting effects on their lives. Judge Kenderik Horne said Bakatash had “encouraged them to keep drinking” so they would be too drunk to stop him from having sex with them. The judge told Bakatash that his claim of no sexual activity was a lie, and the jury had seen through it. Although Bakatash, originally from Afghanistan, may not be deported after serving two-thirds of his sentence, the judge noted his work with the British Army. Bakatash’s lawyer, Umar Shehzad, said he had been injured while working for the army in Afghanistan and was “overwhelmed” living in a foreign country after fleeing following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.