Afghan Asylum Seeker Sentenced for Snapchat Grooming of 13-Year-Old

An asylum seeker has received a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence for raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl after tricking her into believing he was a teenager on the messaging app Snapchat. Abdul Khan, now 28 and held at HMP Nottingham, told police upon his arrest in 2015 that he had arrived from Afghanistan in the back of a lorry. He is currently serving time for an attack committed ten years later at Clifton, on the outskirts of Nottingham.

During the trial last week, jurors heard how Khan used Snapchat to groom the teenager by claiming he was a 14-year-old boy when he was actually 27. The court details show that after school ended, Khan arranged to meet her and took her on a tram ride into the woods. There, he raped her twice. Following the assault, the terrified girl ran away and told her father what had happened. He immediately called the police. Once Khan was arrested, forensic tests confirmed his DNA matched material found on trousers belonging to the youngster.

Khan denied carrying out the sex attack as well as charges of sexual communication with a child, sexual activity with a child, and meeting a child following grooming. He also pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice. This charge stemmed from his initial lies about his name and age; he told officers he was just 15. The judge noted that this deception persisted until the very end of the proceedings.

On Friday at Nottingham Crown Court, Khan followed the trial through a Pashto interpreter before being convicted on all counts. Judge Mark Watson issued a stern warning during sentencing. He stated that the schoolgirl 'thought she was communicating with a boy of her own age, because that is what you led her to believe'. The judge emphasized that this was a deliberate lie.

Prosecutor Kevin Jones highlighted how Khan manipulated his identity repeatedly. Immigration checks confirmed that when he first contacted UK authorities in 2015, he listed May 19, 1999 as his birth date. Since then, he provided at least four other dates of birth to various agencies, claiming years ranging from 1998 to 2009. Judge Watson found it clear that upon meeting the girl in person, she understood he was older than what he claimed.

The judge explained how Khan tried to manage her perception. He told her he was actually 16 and 'sought to appease' her by steering her away from a public skatepark suggestion. Instead, he persuaded her to go into the woods. This move revealed his true intention: to have sex with her there. Her fear came from the unknown environment rather than any specific act of aggression at first glance. The court concluded that she was very out of her depth as a 13-year-old facing this predator.

Dawn Pritchard, the prosecutor handling sentencing for Dawn, read a victim impact statement that painted a picture of deep trauma. The girl told the court she could no longer trust anyone and suffered constant flashbacks. She refused to wear her school uniform because it reminded her too much of the day she was abused. Her parents must feel just as broken by this ordeal.

Earlier this year, Derby Crown Court jailed Khan for 23 months after convicting him of sexual communication with another child. Judge Watson noted that a pre-sentence report described Khan as unable to judge boundaries and posed a high risk of harming post-pubescent females. This latest conviction means he faces automatic deportation to Afghanistan once he serves two thirds of his sentence. As he left the dock, Khan covered his face with his hands while being led away. He must now register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Mr Jones explained to jurors how the connection started on Snapchat under the fake name Abs. The accused pretended to be a teenage boy after befriending other pals of the victim online. Messages and pictures exchanged quickly turned sexual before Khan manipulated her into sending an intimate image. They met at a tram stop the next day, leaving the girl somewhat surprised by his appearance. They visited a friend's home first before heading to the woods where the alleged attack occurred.

The victim described trying not to panic while Khan removed her clothes because she feared he might have a weapon. After the assault, she ran straight to a friend's house. Her father called and asked her to return home immediately. She told him what happened, prompting him to phone police right away. Officers arrived at the friend's house and spoke with the shaken girl. Khan was arrested later that same day for an unrelated matter while his clothing and mobile phone were seized by officers.

During his interview about the alleged rape, Khan claimed his name was Abs Leo and insisted he was nearly 16 years old. He denied ever meeting the girl or going to the wood where the incident happened, insisting he remained a virgin. The victim could not be named for legal reasons but appeared in court with family members to watch him receive his sentence. In her statement she said she had lost her emotions and felt scared of the entire world since that night.

Ms Pritchard summarized the harrowing account given by the young girl. She explained that the victim wanted to end her life that evening and seriously self-harmed for several months afterward. The prosecutor quoted the girl saying she never expected such horror and does not want anyone else to suffer this fate because it is simply wrong. Andrew Wesley, representing Khan in court, noted he maintains the identity presented during the trial despite evidence suggesting he traveled from Afghanistan arriving in 2015 on a lorry. He argued that whatever age Khan was or why he made that journey, the trip must have been arduous and long. It is curious he continues to hold this stance, which may reveal things about him not yet exposed by the court process.

He knows he will be deported. Detective Constable Madeleine Johnson with Nottinghamshire Police stated that Khan acted as an opportunistic and predatory offender who posed a clear risk to teenage girls. She explained his nature by saying, As his previous grooming conviction demonstrates, he was absolutely determined in his ambition to strike up sexual relationships with young girls. The victim in this case was particularly vulnerable at the time of this offence and has unsurprisingly suffered a great deal as a result of what Khan did to her. It is thanks to her bravery and the compelling evidence she was able to give that this man is now off our streets for good.