‘Devious and perverted’ Imam raped boy at mosque

5 days ago

BBC News, Yorkshire

An Imam at a mosque in Bradford has been jailed for 13 years for raping a teenage boy.

Mohammed Khan, 57, used his position at Suffa Tul Islam Mosque, then on Sunbridge Road, to groom and assault the boy on five separate occasions during the 1990s.

Bradford Crown Court heard Khan, from Sheffield, had previously been jailed for 16 years in 2011 for sexually assaulting two boys in Stoke-on-Trent in 2009.

Judge Christopher Smith said: “You were a respected member of the teaching staff, but your outward respectful appearance masked a devious and perverted sexual interest in pubescent boys.”

The court heard Khan had attacked the boy, who was aged between 13 and 16, in his office at the mosque and on a minibus.

Judge Smith said he had then “secured his silence” by telling him “he would not be believed” if he reported what had happened.

“Regrettably, opportunities were missed to bring your offending to an end when other individual members of staff found you in suspicious circumstances but failed to to report matters to others as they should have done so,” he added.

He said Khan had gained the trust of his victim’s family while “silently betraying their trust” and “destroying their son’s life”.

Khan’s offending only came to light in 2019, more than 20 years after the abuse took place.

He pleaded guilty to raping the boy on the first day of his trial.

As well as the 13-year sentence, Khan was told he would serve an additional three years on licence following his release.