Asylum seeker who groomed and raped girl, 13, jailed

An asylum seeker has been sentenced to prison after sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, having initially deceived her on Snapchat by pretending to be a teenager. Abdul Khan carried out the attack in a nature reserve located in Clifton, Nottingham, on 14 May of the previous year.

Khan, who arrived in the UK in 2015 hidden in the back of a lorry, was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday. Alongside these charges, the court heard that he will be subject to automatic deportation to Afghanistan after serving two-thirds of his sentence. He was found guilty on multiple counts including two of rape, one of engaging in sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child, meeting a child following grooming, and perverting the course of justice.

During the four-day trial, it was revealed that Khan, believed to be 28 years old and already serving a 23-month sentence for sexual communication with a different child in Derbyshire, had contacted his victim through Snapchat. He initially claimed to be a 14-year-old boy, arranging to meet her in woodland. Upon meeting, and after it became clear he was not a teenager, Khan told the girl he was 16 in an apparent attempt to maintain her trust. Following what jurors determined was consensual contact, Khan proceeded to rape the girl twice.

The victim disclosed the assault to her father, who promptly involved the police. Subsequent investigation connected Khan to the crime through a mobile phone recovered at his arrest linked to an earlier case in Derbyshire. Despite DNA evidence tying him to the victim, Khan persistently denied meeting her. Addressing Khan, the judge emphasized his deliberate deception, noting, “You deliberately concealed your true identity. She thought she was communicating with a child of her own age. It was a lie you have persisted with throughout these proceedings.”

In court, prosecutor Dawn Pritchard read a heartfelt victim personal statement, describing the profound psychological impact on the girl. The victim “feels numb when she thinks back to how she felt at the time,” and experiences fear and mistrust in the world following the trauma. She is plagued by flashbacks that vividly replay Khan’s face and the events of the assault. Defence counsel Andrew Wesley was unable to provide personal mitigation, as Khan continued to challenge his age and identity as presented in the prosecution.

The judge rejected Khan’s claims, calling them “nonsensical” and certain to fail. He acknowledged the devastating effect on the victim and her family, underscoring the severity of the offence and its consequences. Khan was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely and will face deportation upon completing his prison term. Detective Constable Madeleine Johnson from Nottinghamshire Police described Khan as “an opportunistic and predatory offender” with a clear threat to young girls, highlighting his prior grooming conviction and the significant harm to the vulnerable victim in this case

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