A CHARITY boss who was given an MBE for “services to the community” sexually assaulted a young woman and threatened to have her deported, a court has heard.

Janaid Qureshi was described as a “sleazy sexual predator'” as he faced six counts of sexual assault at Bolton Crown Court yesterday.

The 61-year-old, of Queens Road, Blackburn, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Opening the case, Michael Maher, prosecuting said Qureshi had declared his love for the woman, who had recently arrived in the country from Pakistan.

The court heard that Qureshi took her in his car to a secluded lake between Blackburn and Bolton and tried to undo her clothes and did the same thing when they were parked near some fields in the Pleasington area, pulling his own trousers down.

Another assault is alleged to have taken place in a house in Accrington Road, Blackburn after he offered to show her around the property, the court was told.

Describing Qureshi, Mr Maher told the court: “Superficially he presents himself as a pillar of the community...but there is a very different side to Mr Qureshi's character.

“We say he is a sleazy sexual predator who exploited his victim’s vulnerability for his own sexual gratification.”

Telling the court how Qureshi had threatened his victim after assaulting her, Mr Maher said he told the woman she would not be able to survive in Blackburn “because he was such a well connected man in the community”.

His alleged victim, who cannot be named, told the court Qureshi had promised to make her 'rich'.

Away from her family for the first time, she said she had been very confused but Qureshi had been helpful.

She told the hearing: “He said he knew so many immigrations officers and police, he would get me deported.”

At the time of his arrest, Qureshi was a board member of housing association Prospect Homes, which administrates Twin Valley Homes and Housing Pendle, a governor at Blackburn College, a board member of the University of Central Lancashire and a former CEO of the Ethnic Minorities Development Association.

He was awarded the MBE in 1999 for work in community relations.

(Proceeding)