Abusali Rahman, 35, a British national of Bangladeshi ethnicity from Salford, appeared in Bolton Crown Court today (May 28) via video link from custody.

He admitted to various charges against pupils at seven schools across Bolton, Bury and Salford.

The court heard Rahman published an image of a child’s face transposed onto an adult on X.

Rahman also published an obscene article of a female in school uniform next to two males on the social media platform with the caption read: “I must have been a good girl to get two BBCs”, the court heard.

Rahman’s defence barrister, Emma Kehoe, told the court: “He knows that this is a prison sentence, but he was going through a mental health crisis at the time of these offences.”

She asked for a psychiatric report ahead of his sentencing.

A sentencing date has been set for Tuesday, September 1, and Rahman will remain in custody until then.

At the hearing, Rahman pleaded guilty to the following 21 offences: 

• 12 counts of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child (images obtained by upskirting)
• 4 counts of publishing an obscene article (AI-generated sexualised images)
• 3 counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child (making AI-generated images)
• 1 count of distributing an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child (sharing an upskirting image with another user)
• 1 count of operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent (the act of upskirting)

Detective Sergeant Simon France, of GMP, addressed the media outside Bolton Crown Court where he said the force’s online child abuse investigation team first received reports about suspected of offending in March 2025.

He said: “Reports like this will cause understandable concern and anxiety in our school communities.

Detective Sergeant Simon France addressed media outside of Bolton Crown Court (Image: NQ)

“However, throughout the investigation, the safeguarding teams have been at the forefront of carrying out enquiries and our decision-making.

“Protecting children remains our highest priority.

“All parents and guardians of those affected and their schools have been made aware of the investigation, and support will remain available from the police and our partner agencies.

“Without these crimes being reported in the first place and support from parents and guardians, we may never have reached this point.

“As this is still a live investigation, I would urge people to refrain from online speculation.

“We have had contact with all schools we know Rahman has worked in in the North West since he became a qualified teacher in 2023.

“As it stands, no further alleged criminal offences have been identified at this time.

“However, if you have any further information, please contact Greater Manchester Police or Crimestoppers, quoting Operation Pomerie.”

Thirteen girls have been identified, who were aged between 13 and 16 at the time of the alleged offending, at seven high schools in Bury, Bolton and Salford.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say four girls from two high schools have not yet been identified, and officers are continuing to work directly with those schools. 

The offences are alleged to have taken place between December 2023 and June 2025, and the upskirting charges relate to alleged offending in schools. 

All affected schools and the parents of the 13 identified girls have been informed.

GMP say all necessary safeguarding personnel have been made aware of the investigation, and of the specialist support that they and their partners are offering them throughout this case.

Officers say that if you, as a parent, have not been personally informed, your child has not been identified as a potential victim in this case.

If GMP receive further information relevant to the investigation, then they will sensitively and directly approach impacted schools, like they have done so far, to ensure that parents are informed.

GMP have been in contact with all schools that Mr Rahman has worked at as part of their enquiries.

He has not worked in schools since he was arrested in June 2025 after a concern was raised by a parent about an image of their child in a school uniform being circulated by a social media account.

The discovery of further images prompted an upskirting investigation by the force’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT).

GMP say a significant amount of specialist and sensitive work has since gone into trying to identify girls on those images. 

Mr Rahman was charged and appeared at Wigan Magistrates’ Court in April 2026.

He has since been remanded in custody and will appear at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday, May 28. 

By law, alleged victims of sexual offences have a lifelong right to anonymity.

The force asks that people respect their privacy and protect the integrity of the case by not speculating or commenting on this case in-person or online.

Anyone who wants to report an offence or has any information on this investigation should contact operation.messina@gmp.police.uk or call 101 quoting Operation Pomerie.

You can also pass details anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Support available

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

Saint Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester, provides a comprehensive and coordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support, as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call on 0161 273 4500 or email help@manchesterrapecrisis.co.uk

We Are Survivors provides specialist trauma-informed support to male victims in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape, or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.

There are two doubles wildcards available for the tournament at Queen’s, and one is reserved for a team which includes a former world number one, a Grand Slam champion of the past 10 years or a current top-30 player.

WIlliams has never liked the word retirement, preferring instead to say she was “evolving away” from tennis in 2022.

She lost to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 US Open, in what the world thought would be her final match.

Williams had reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier that year, and won her last Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne in 2017 at the age of 35.

The Lawn Tennis Association has consistently prioritised British players when determining who should receive wildcards at domestic grass court events.

All four available for the singles draw are very likely to go to British players, but the LTA are likely to feel differently about the doubles given the “exceptional circumstances” of a potential Williams return.

“Never say never, and not wanting to speak of any one individual player, but you will have seen over recent years that those wildcard opportunities are afforded to British players – that is absolutely my fundamental personal belief and philosophy,” LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said at a briefing for journalists in April.

“There might be exceptional circumstances which might influence a unique wildcard, but otherwise those playing opportunities we want to afford to British players.”

The organisation’s performance director Michael Bourne also hinted commercial opportunities could be a factor.

“It’s also really important to remember that we in the performance team understand that players have to earn that right,” Bourne said.

“We don’t take them for granted. If we didn’t think we had a depth of player where it was right for them to take those opportunities, and there was something else that was good for the business, we would hold our hands up.”

North Yorkshire Police were called to the violent incident, which involved at least two individuals, at around 7pm on Wednesday (May 27) in Fairfax Avenue, Harrogate.

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A force spokesperson confirmed: “One person has been arrested following the incident and the investigation is still ongoing.

“We’re particularly appealing for witnesses to the incident or any CCTV footage showing the incident, or the events leading up to it.

“Please email ben.wheatley@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation.

“Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

“Please quote reference 12260097125 when passing on information.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term was supposed to be an easy lift for Republicans.

But progress stalled over concerns about the inclusion of White House ballroom security funding in the package and the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to finance claims of government mistreatment. The stumble has not only delayed action on a top GOP priority but also is raising questions about other parts of the party’s legislative agenda, including whether Republicans can enact another catchall, party-line bill referred to in Washington parlance as “Reconciliation 3.0.”

Republicans have spent recent weeks laying the groundwork for such a bill, which they hope will serve as a final sales pitch to voters going into the midterms.

Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, have been meeting with committee and caucus chairs to screen for proposals that have strong buy-in from the rank and file. They are aiming to follow up on last summer’s big tax and spending cuts bill with a measure that would increase Pentagon spending by hundreds of billions of dollars and would include cuts elsewhere to help pay for it, which they are couching as tackling government waste and fraud.

Johnson navigated the House GOP’s slim majority in passing Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill last summer. The vote was 218-214. At the time, Republicans could afford to lose three votes from within their ranks. They lost just two.

They’ll have a thin margin of error again, but Johnson said he’s even more confident of success this time around.

“It will be just as beautiful, but not as big, so it’ll have less provisions and less things to get everybody to yes on,” he said.

Rep. Jodey Arrington, chairman of the House Budget Committee, said Republicans are just as motivated as they were last year on the tax cuts bill.

“This one, I think you’ll have potentially money to support our troops in conflict,” said Arrington, of Texas. “I can’t imagine a Republican not wanting to support our troops and military community in a time of conflict.”

The Trump administration has called on Republicans to provide $350 billion to defense through a reconciliation bill.

But Rep. Brendan Boyle, the lead Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said Republicans will have a more difficult path than they did with Trump’s big tax and spending cuts bill.

“I think it will be for a couple of reasons. First is the president’s approval rating. He was at a much higher level a year ago than he is right now,” said Boyle, of Pennsylvania. “Number 2, we are much closer to the November midterm elections. So, if you’re one of a dozen or a couple dozen House Republicans who are really vulnerable in a swing district, you have to think even more carefully about voting for something that has even more health care cuts in it.”

The tax cuts bill that passed last summer reduced spending on Medicaid by more than $900 billion over a decade. It also reduced spending on nutrition assistance by about $187 billion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Caution in the Senate

Senate Majority Leader John Thune called a third reconciliation bill to get around the filibuster a “potential option,” hardly a ringing endorsement.

Another hurdle could be Trump’s treatment of current senators whose votes he will need for any package to become law. Trump endorsed opponents of two senators who faced stiff primary challenges and eventually lost — Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas.

Cassidy has already shown more willingness to buck the president. Fresh off his primary loss, he voted last week to advance a bill that seeks to force Trump to withdraw from hostilities with Iran.

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Fire crews rushed to Talbot Road in the early hours of Thursday morning (May 28).

No injuries have been reported. Engineers from Electricty North West are on the scene, along with GMP officers and firefighters.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Just after 12.35am this morning (28 May), a number of fire crews from Moss Side, Ashton and Manchester Central attended an incident involving a collapsed building on Talbot Road in Old Trafford.