Search results for Birmingham

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Two Birmingham men jailed after abducting and sexually assaulting 11-year-old who thought they would help her

Hamza Sharif, 36, and Sadak Ali, 28, have been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court after abducting an 11-year-old girl who had run away from home. She went with them believing they would help her.

On the night of the offence, Sharif approached the girl in Birmingham. He had never met her before. He invited her to his address, where Ali was present. The men offered her drugs, which she refused; they told her they had taken cocaine. Ali then asked her highly invasive and sexualised questions and sexually assaulted her over her clothing.

The following day the men told the girl they were taking her to the house of a woman who could help her. She was given an old hoodie to wear. A member of the public intervened and removed her from the pair.

In her victim impact statement the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “I thought the men would help me, but they did not. I still have nightmares and flashbacks. After this happened, I hated myself. What they did has changed my life forever and that will never change.” She added: “I’m worried they will find me even though they are in prison.”

Judge Roderick Henderson described the offence as extremely serious and opportunistic. He said the men had isolated a vulnerable child for a significant amount of time, that Ali had tried to sexually assault “a desperately vulnerable youth,” and that neither man had contacted police or other authorities.

Sharif, of Birmingham, was jailed for five years for child abduction after the judge described him as the driving force in the abduction. Ali, also of Birmingham, was sentenced to seven years (concurrent) after being found guilty of detaining a child under unlawful control and assault by touching a child under the age of 13. Ali will be placed on the sex offenders register for life. Both men are subject to restraining orders.

(Defence counsel noted Ali had experienced trauma in Somalia that affected his mental health, and that Sharif had suffered personal tragedies including the deaths of his wife and uncle.)

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A man has pleaded guilty to 19 child sexual offences at Drayton Manor Theme Park.

Josef Luke Hammond, 24, of Birmingham, appeared at Stafford Crown Court yesterday (Monday 12 October) and admitted 19 counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching. 

Hammond was a ride operator at Drayton Manor when the offences took place. He was first brought to our attention in August 2024 after a girl told her parent that Hammond had touched her inappropriately.  

After flagging this with staff at the theme park, CCTV was reviewed and Hammond was immediately sent home, and the police were informed. On the same day, the suspect was arrested and brought in for questioning.  

Following an investigation, we found that Hammond had sexually assaulted 19 victims. 

Faced with the overwhelming evidence in court, Hammond was left with no choice but to admit to all of the offences. 

He has now been bailed ahead of his sentencing date at Stafford Crown Court on 11 December.

Detective Inspector Vanessa Furnival, from our child protection team, said:

“I’d like to recognise the bravery of the victims in this case who have all shown immense courage in coming forward and supporting us with our efforts to secure this outcome today. 

“I’d also like to recognise the rapid response from staff at Drayton Manor, who immediately removed Hammond from his duties. While we’re pleased to secure this conviction, we would advise any parents or guardians who think their child may have been a victim to get in touch with the police directly.”   

Hammond was a ride operator from March 2024 to August 2024. 

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A 30-year-old man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at an address in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Kane Landell was in a white delivery van when he saw a woman pull up in her car outside an address.

The court was told how he approached her and said he had a parcel for delivery at her address, and then asked her if she lived alone.

Landell then followed her into the house uninvited, asked to use the bathroom and left the parcel on the table.

When the woman looked at the parcel, she could see it had no name or address on it. 

Landell, of Chadwick Avenue, Birmingham then exited the bathroom and was seen to have an erection, and the woman told him he needed to leave the address.

He then approached her and pressed his erect penis against her hip, and she again told him to get out of the address.

The woman began to film Landell, who got back into his van and he then hurriedly attempted to reverse up a narrow lane and collided with bushes and a wall.

The victim was able to get the registration of the van when the incident happened on 17 June 2024.

She contacted police and Landell was subsequently identified and arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

Following an investigation by Gloucestershire Constabulary's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised a charge of sexual assault.

Landell denied the offence and on 23 September a jury at Gloucester Crown Court found him guilty.

He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 12 November.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Dan Sackett said:

"I would like to thank the victim for her resilience and for persevering with the criminal justice process which has resulted in Landell being found guilty of the offence.

"Due to her help and quick-thinking to film him, he was identified and rightly put before the court."

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Wanted: Leroy Robinson, 40, registered sex offender accused of notification breach

West Midlands Police are appealing for information to trace Leroy Robinson, 40, after he allegedly breached a notification requirement as a registered sex offender.

Robinson, a former Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion youth prospect, previously lived in Shirley. Officers now list him as having no fixed address.

A force spokesperson said:

“Wanted.

“Have you seen Leroy Robinson?

“The 40-year-old, of no fixed address, is wanted after breaching a notification requirement as a registered sex offender.

“Anyone with any information is asked to call 101 quoting 20/358627/26.”

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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A man who travelled to Widnes to meet up with who he thought was a 14-year-old boy has been jailed.

Javed Iqbal, of Castleton Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to five years in prison after appearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 27 August 2026.

The 49-year-old had been found guilty of arranging the commission of an offence of sexual activity with a child and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

On 28 August 2024, Iqbal began speaking online with who he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, but this was in fact an adult posing as a child.

The ‘child’ clearly informed Iqbal that he was 14 years old and Iqbal continued to send sexualised messages, including an explicit image, and asked the child for images of himself.

Iqbal then arranged to meet the child in Widnes and travelled to the area on 7 September 2024. Cheshire Police was made aware and officers attended and arrested him.

Javed Iqbal, of Castleton Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to five years in prison after appearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 27 August 2026.

The 49-year-old had been found guilty of arranging the commission of an offence of sexual activity with a child and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

On 28 August 2024, Iqbal began speaking online with who he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, but this was in fact an adult posing as a child.

The ‘child’ clearly informed Iqbal that he was 14 years old and Iqbal continued to send sexualised messages, including an explicit image, and asked the child for images of himself.

Iqbal then arranged to meet the child in Widnes and travelled to the area on 7 September 2024. Cheshire Police was made aware and officers attended and arrested him.

A spokesperson said:

“Although there was no young victim in this case, Iqbal did not know this and was intent on meeting with a child for sexual purposes, travelling a long distance to do so.

“He also sent explicit messages to the child, even after they clearly informed him of their age.

“Iqbal attempted to deny the allegations but has now been found guilty of the offences and handed a custodial sentence which reflects the severity of the charges against him.

“On top of his five-year sentence, Iqbal must sign the Sex Offender Register indefinitely and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.”

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A Birmingham man who raped two women has been locked up for 20 years.

The women were separately both subjected to sustained sexual assaults and rape, over several hours, by Daniel Thomas.

The 49-year-old denied committing the offences but after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court he was found guilty of nine counts of rape and two of sexual assault.

In 2022 he repeatedly assaulted a woman at a flat in Ladywood and in 2025 he carried out a similar series of sexual offences against a woman at an address in Edgbaston.

When questioned by officers he denied committing the offences, but we were able to build a case against him with the support of the woman he had raped.

Forensics also played a vital role, after Thomas denied having had any form of sexual contact with one of the women, with DNA analysis linking him to her.

He has now been jailed for 20 years and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Sgt Nicole Brain and PC Erin Kennelly, from our RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) team, who were leading the investigation said:

"A repeat rapist is now behind bars thanks to the strength of the very women he thought it was acceptable to violate and assault.

"The women were able to help us evidence and document his vile crimes and support our investigation and our thanks goes to them.

"Their strength and perseverance to see this process through has ensured a rapist is off the streets and now behind bars for a very considerable amount of time."

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A sex offender’s been sent to prison after our officers caught him minutes after an assault on a girl in Birmingham.

Sean Sewell, from Newtown, was also convicted over a previous indecent exposure in the city.

The 46-year-old was arrested on 8 April this year, around 20 minutes after a girl aged 10 had reported being touched inappropriately by a man in a pub in the city centre.

Officers responded immediately and set out trying to find who was responsible.

Sewell was detained nearby and taken in for questioning, as detectives from our Public Protection Unit carried out several enquiries.

They were subsequently able to link Sewell to an incident on a bus in the city centre the previous October, where a woman reported a man had exposed himself to her.

Following a comprehensive investigation, Sewell was charged with exposure and sexually assaulting a child.

He pleaded guilty to both and at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (10 July) was jailed for six years and five months and will be on the sex offender register for life.

DC Lewis Harris, from our Public Protection Unit, said:

“We are pleased to see that Sewell has been jailed for his crimes, where he targeted a woman and a young girl.

“We have remained in contact with both, and they have been kept up to date throughout the investigation as we worked to bring Sewell to justice.”

T/DC Huckerby added:

“Ultimately a quick response from officers on the ground, and a thorough subsequent investigation, has led to Sewell being brought before the courts.

“We’re working hard, across Birmingham and the West Midlands, to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls, and we take each report incredibly seriously.”

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A man from Birmingham who sexually groomed girls online across the UK and then met them for sex has been jailed for almost 16 years.

Luke Edmonds, aged 25, was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court. He was sentenced to 15 years and seven months after being convicted following a trial of sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images of a child and sexual communication with a child.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life and a restraining order was placed on each girl he targeted indefinitely.

Back in October 2025 we received information saying Edmonds, from Quarry House Close, Rubery, was uploading indecent images of children online.

We carried out a warrant at his home on 14 October. We seized a mobile phone and when it was examined he was found to have sickening images of him engaging in sexual activity with children.

We arrested him and during interview he claimed the children in the footage to be 16 years old.

Our Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET) analysed the data within Edmonds’ phone and it was at this this stage the full scale of his offending came to light. A total of 700 indecent images and videos of children were recovered from his phone.

These all related to four separate girls aged between 13 and 15 situated around the UK who he had been grooming via Snapchat. He had met up with girls in Bristol, South Wales, Chester and Scotland.

A review of his Snapchat account found almost 400 separate message threads where he was clearly targeting young girls. His profile was that of a 15 year-old old boy which he had used to gain the trust of the children who he abused. Edmonds even produced a photocopy of a fake passport saying he was 18 when he met up with one of the girls.

DC Adrian Jackson, from OCSET, said:

“The messages between Edmonds and the children he abused showed he had a clear pattern of offending and would gain their trust through expressing his love for them before bombarding them with sickening demands day and night.

“Edmonds was a prolific offender who had a fascination with underage girls. Fortunately, we were able to put a stop to his offending. He now faces many years behind bars where he can reflect on his crimes and the harm he has caused to those he groomed and abused.

“I would like to express my gratitude to those vulnerable young people affected by the actions of Edmands. They have all been so brave throughout the investigation.”

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A woman bizarrely shouted "the defendant does not have herpes" as a teenage rapist was jailed.

Wahidullah Hotak, 18, from Handsworth, forced a 24-year-old intoxicated woman to perform a sex act in the toilet of the Wednesbury shop where he worked.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison with an extended three-year licence at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, May 7, after being found guilty of rape. West Midlands Police released his custody photo.

The victim had been drinking on February 27 last year when she entered the shop asking to use the toilet. Hotak took advantage of her vulnerable state and attacked her.

In her victim impact statement, she said she was told at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) she may have HIV or hepatitis. She added that she developed blisters, saying: "They were probably herpes because of the assault."

Herpes is a sexually transmitted infection.

As soon as Hotak’s sentence was confirmed, an unidentified elderly woman in the public gallery stood up and shouted towards Judge Simon Drew KC:

"The defendant does not have herpes."

The judge ordered her to stop and she was ushered out. She was later confirmed to be associated with Hotak.

Hotak, an Afghan national who arrived in the UK in 2023, had one asylum claim rejected but intended to appeal. Prosecutors had believed he was 26 until a document from the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior Affairs confirmed he was 18 at sentencing — and 17 at the time of the attack.

The age ruling reduced his sentence significantly. Judge Drew said it would otherwise have been around ten years. He described Hotak as a "dangerous offender" and told him: "This was a stranger rape and you accept no responsibility for your part in it. I find you pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public as a result of committing further specified — that's serious — offences."

Defending him, Francesca Perera said Hotak had a "difficult upbringing" before fleeing Afghanistan. She stressed she did not wish to diminish the impact on the victim but noted there was "no medical evidence to support the herpes claim."

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A Birmingham man who sexually abused a young girl in the city is facing jail.

Michael Wisdom was convicted of a series of sexual offences against children, as well as possession of indecent images in April this year.

Wisdom, 67, was reported when the girl, who he abused in Birmingham in 1979, came forward to report historic sexual abuse.

Last year the girl, now a woman, came forward and reported what happened to our officers.

Following an investigation, Wisdom was arrested at his home in Birmingham in late 2025.

When officers arrived, Wisdom tried to destroy his mobile phone, which was later confirmed to contain dozens of indecent images of children including Category A images (the most severe category).

The investigation also found messages from Wisdom to a woman discussing abusing a girl.

Wisdom denied all the offences in interview but offered no alternative explanation and was charged with indecent assault and possession of indecent images.

Wisdom was convicted on 27 April this year at Birmingham Crown Court and was remanded ahead of sentencing on 13 July.

Thanks to the survivors' accounts, we were able to build a case against Wisdom and secure justice for them.

Our specialist Non-Recent RASSO Team within our Public Protection Unit investigate all reports of sex offences, no matter how long ago they took place.

You can report a sexual assault or rape that happened at any time to us, even if it was months, years or decades ago. We take every report seriously, no matter how much time has passed.

We understand that there are lots of reasons why someone might not feel ready to tell anyone about what has happened right away.

We also know it is common for survivors to take time to realise that what has happened is a crime.

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A man has been jailed after he was caught filming people in public toilets in Birmingham and Solihull. 

Troy Green, aged 22 was arrested in August 2025 after we received a report that someone had been filmed using public toilets. 

Devices were seized from Green’s home address. The analysis of these devices recovered 528 video clips and images of 465 different victims who were all filmed without their knowledge in public toilets.

Two of the victims were identified as children.  

During a number of interviews, Green claimed that he had an addiction to vaping that was frowned upon by his family and that was his excuse for using public toilets so frequently. 

He continued to deny committing the offences as more and more evidence was uncovered and even claimed that some of the phones were not his despite him appearing in a number of the videos.

He was charged and at an earlier hearing pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism, two counts of making indecent images of a child and one count of making indecent images of a child. 

At Birmingham Crown Cout last week (15 April) Green was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

DC Stephen Dunford from our Public Protection Unit said:

“Across numerous interviews Green continued to deny the offences despite overwhelming evidence, eventually only accepting responsibility in light of further evidence coming to light. 

“We take offences like this extremely seriously and would always encourage people to report suspicious behaviour like this as it is can sometimes be an indicator of more serious offending.”

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A Birmingham man has been jailed for the rape and sexual assault of a woman and a teenager.

Juma Ahmadi, aged 46 has been jailed for 25 years and has received an indefinite sexual harm prevention order after sexually abusing a woman in her 40s and a teenage girl.

In July last year, a teenager girl confided in a hospital doctor that she had been sexually abused. The doctor then called 999 and safeguarded the girl.

We attended and spoke with her and she told us that Ahmadi had wanted to give her money to buy things and sexually assaulted and raped her over a three-year period.

Ahmadi was then arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and rape.

The girl bravely attended a police station the following day to complete a video interview.

During this time, a woman in her 40s also came forward to officers, disclosing that Ahmadi had raped her a number of times.

Ahmadi of Whitmore Street, Birmingham was charged with nine counts of rape and sexual assault. Following a trial, he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court last week for sentencing.

Detective Constable Charlie Smith, Child Public Protection Unit, said:

“Ahmadi is a dangerous man who will now spend a long time behind bars. We hope this sends a clear message that people who behave in this appalling way will be caught and will spend many years in prison.

“I would like to praise the courage of the woman and teenager who came forward to tell us what he had done. He put them both through a trial rather than admitting his actions.”

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A man who exposed himself to commuters outside Derby railway station has been sentenced to seven months in prison following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Christopher Pittar, 44 and of Princip Street, Birmingham, was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 18 March after being found guilty of one count of Exposure. He also pleaded guilty to a count of Indecent Behaviour in a Police Station.

Pittar was also ordered to sign sex offenders register for seven years and handed a five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which prohibits him from entering any railway station in the UK without valid ticket or reason, and from undoing, loosening or removing items of clothing or touching himself in stations or on trains. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

The court heard how on 26 February 2025 just before 7pm Pittar was walking around outside Derby railway station.

He then laid down on the floor, lifted his jacket and exposed himself with his trousers pulled down. He then proceeded to shout out to draw more attention to himself.

A woman who saw Pittar exposing himself outside the station walked away from him and spotted a patrolling BTP officer who she reported his actions to. Pittar was swiftly arrested and taken to custody.

While in custody he exposed himself a second time to officers and staff there.

BTP Detective Sergeant Nick Tatlow said:

"Pittar showed no remorse for his senseless behaviour, even repeating his actions while in custody. He targeted a woman with his disgusting actions, and I am thankful to her for reporting the incident so we could bring Pittar before the courts and now behind bars.

“If you experience or witness a sexual offence on board a train or at a station, I urge you to report it to one of our officers on the network or by texting us discreetly on 61016. We take every report seriously and will stop at nothing to bring sexual offenders like Pittar to justice.”

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A predator who sought a child to sexually abuse and was then caught with almost 1,000 indecent images has been jailed.

We discovered Adam Khan had been interacting with others online to find a child he could carry out sex attacks on.

Officers from our Force Priorities Team established he was meeting with someone he believed could arrange for this to happen.

However, they intercepted this meeting and arrested Khan in Great Barr in July last year.

After seizing digital devices from him we found almost 1,000 indecent images and videos of children. There was evidence he'd also distributed images of children.

Khan pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the rape of a child under the age of 13 and distribution of indecent images between June and July last year.

The 30-year-old from Great Barr was jailed for nine years and six months at Birmingham Crown Court last Wednesday (18 March).

Detective Sergeant Nick McCullogh, from our Force Priorities Team, said:

"Khan was intent on meeting a child who he could sexually abuse.

"We were able to stop his disgusting plan, and uncover the full extent of his offending, to ensure he has been sent to jail for many years."

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The parents of a girl who spoke up about a serious sexual assault she was subjected to have praised her bravery as her attacker was today given a 30-year extended sentence.

Stephen Jeffries had abused three girls over almost two decades, with those he targeted aged as young as 11.

The 35-year-old, who was described by the judge as being considered a most dangerous offender was also put on the sexual offender register for life and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice.

He was arrested following a break-in at a Birmingham home in December 2024, during which a girl was sexually assaulted.

Through forensic evidence, investigators identified a suspect within days of the offence and arrested Jeffries from his home in Northfield on 12 December, 2024.

Specialist officers worked with the girl and her family, to establish exactly what she had been through and offered them support as the investigation developed.

Today her parents have shared some of the victim statements they gave to the court as Jeffries was jailed.

Her father, said:

"Life is incredibly challenging for women, who regularly face a world where their safety and dignity are threatened.

"I deeply admire my daughter for her courage in standing up against this injustice; it truly reflects her remarkable strength and character.

"No parent should ever have to watch their child endure this kind of pain.

"While I know no sentence or decision can undo the harm that has been done, I hope the court will take into account the devastating impact this crime has had—not just on her, but on all of us who love her.

"I want justice, not just for my family, but also to send a message to others: that actions like this cannot and will not be tolerated."

While her mother said: "Stephen Jeffries may have found her at her most vulnerable that night but what he did not realise is what a brave girl she truly is.

"The same strong girl that spoke up, she has done what most adults cannot face doing let alone a minor, her braveness is why we are all stood in this room today to ensure consequences are faced.

"No matter what sentence is given here today, no sentence will be as long as the one my daughter has been given as this will be with her for the rest of her life."

Jeffries was also further charged with sexually assaulting two other girls, with those offences dating back to between 2005 and 2024.

Today at Birmingham Crown Court the judge, His Honour Judge Dean Kershaw, also commended the bravery of the victims and their families in the case.

In passing a sentence of 22 years custody and eight years on an extended license, he described Jeffries as being a very high risk to the public, and that he had imposed the extended sentence to protect the public.

Detective Sergeant Nicky Simms from our public protection unit, said: "The three victims and their families have remained strong and committed during this entire process.

"Their strength, fortitude and resilience attending every court hearing, has meant we have been able to bring a dangerous and deviant perpetrator to justice.

“It is down to the courage and bravery of these victims reporting and recounting the horrific details of the crimes committed against them, alongside the support and dedication of officers, that ensured that the defendant had no option but to enter guilty pleas.

“This sentence means he has now been imprisoned and is unable to harm others.

"I would encourage anyone who has been victim of abuse to report this to the police.

“Even years after an attack or sexual abuse has ended, we will listen and can give support as we work through a case to hopefully bring them justice for the ordeal they have been subjected to.“