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Police are urging other potential victims of a man who groomed and sexually abused a teenage girl to come forward after he was jailed for 11 years.
Shoaib Mohammed was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court today (Thursday 29 October) for a string of offences against the girl when she was 15.
Now aged 20, the victim, whose identity is protected by law, was just 14 when she was first contacted by Mohammed, now 35, on Snapchat in April 2021.
Over the following seven months, Mohammed groomed the teenager before persuading her to travel to Sheffield, where he sexually abused her over three days.
Mohammed, of Kentmere Drive, Doncaster, pleaded guilty to nine child sexual offences shortly before his trial was due to begin last month.
He was sentenced to a total of 11 years and will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.
Following the conclusion of the case, detectives from the Child Exploitation Team are appealing for anyone else who has concerns about Mohammed’s behaviour or contact they have had with him to come forward.
He was known to operate under the Snapchat handle ‘shabzique91’.
Officer in the case, DC Daljinder Gill, said:
“Mohammed was an adult who developed a relationship with a child through social media. She told him about her 15th birthday shortly after they started talking, meaning he was in no doubt about her age. Despite knowing she was a child, he continued to engage her in sexual communications before going on to sexually abuse her.
“The bravery and strength the victim has shown throughout the investigation and court proceedings has been remarkable. From making her initial disclosure to police at just 15 years old, to standing in court today as a woman and reading aloud the impact his offending has had on her, she has shown immense courage throughout. I hope today’s outcome gives her some sense that she has been heard and that Mohammed has been held accountable for what he did to her.
“Following the sentence, we want to hear from anyone else who may have experienced similar behaviour from Mohammed or who has concerns about contact they have had with him.
“We know grooming can be difficult to recognise, particularly when contact begins online, and a young person believes they are in a friendship or relationship. They may not recognise the behaviour for what it is until much later.
“If anything about this case feels familiar to you, please come and speak to us. You will be listened to, taken seriously and supported.”
Police investigation into Mohammed’s offending
The investigation first began in late 2021, when the girl was reporting missing to police by her parents.
Officers carried out extensive enquiries to find her and establish who she had been in contact with. Examination of her phone data showed she had been in contact with Mohammed and led officers to believe the pair were together.
Police attended Mohammed’s then home address in Sheffield a couple of days after the girl was reported missing, but he was not there.
After being told police were looking for him, Mohammed dropped the victim off at Sheffield train station and told her to go home and delete all of the messages they had exchanged.
When the victim returned to her home in Leicestershire she told her family and police what had happened.
A detective was immediately deployed to Sheffield to review local CCTV after the victim disclosed she had been taken to a number of hotels in the area between 8 and 10 November While there, sexual activity had taken place at two of the hotels, as well as in the defendant’s car.
The footage uncovered by police showed Mohammed had checked in to the hotels alone before bringing the victim in through reception and going straight to the room.
During the investigation, detectives also discovered the exchange of sexually explicit images and videos between the two.
Detectives also found Mohammed had carried out internet searches for terms including ‘grooming’, ‘Jimmy Savile’ and ‘Op Yewtree’.
After gathering the evidence, police submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Mohammed was charged with five counts of sexual activity with a child, three counts of possession of indecent images of a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Detectives continued to work closely with the CPS as the case progressed, reviewing the evidence and preparing the case for court. Mohammed ultimately pleaded guilty to all nine offences.
DC Gill added:
“Investigations of this nature require careful and detailed work. Throughout this case I worked closely with colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), in particular District Crown Prosecutor Nicola Potts, to ensure the strongest possible case was put before the court.”
Nicola Potts, from the CPS, said:
“The evidence that this man groomed and abused the victim in this case was conclusive. However, his continued denials have taken years of work to bring him to justice as we built a case that stopped his lies in their tracks.
“Shoaib Mohammed preyed on a young, vulnerable victim while posing as a caring friend and romantic partner. The way he manipulated her and abused her at such a vulnerable young age has caused her far-reaching damage. I hope that seeing him jailed today will help that young woman in her recovery and will show that he alone is responsible for what happened to her.”
