logo
Former Obama administration adviser flew to Britain to rape nine-year-old girl

Former Obama administration adviser flew to Britain to rape nine-year-old girl

Yahoo29-01-2025

A former policy adviser to Barack Obama's administration flew to Britain planning to rape a nine-year-old child.
Rahamim 'Rami' Shy, 47, an investment banker who helped co-ordinate the US government's counter-terror response, travelled from New York to Bedfordshire to meet an English schoolgirl.
He spent more than a month planning the trip and had packed his suitcases with cuddly toys and condoms, Luton Crown Court heard.
On an online forum and messaging apps, Shy described the 'unspeakable acts' he was planning in graphic detail to someone he believed to be the girl's grandmother.
But the grandmother, using the name Debbie, was in fact an online decoy created by an undercover officer from Bedfordshire Police.
In his messages, Shy described the girl as a 'tad late' in starting sexual activity at the age of nine, and said that it was an 'honour' to be considered 'her first', the court heard.
He flew to Gatwick on Feb 23 last year then drove to Bedford to meet the undercover officer, and was promptly arrested.
His lawyers tried to claim that as he was in the US at the time of the messaging, he was jurisdictionally exempt from prosecution in the UK.
But the Crown Prosecution Service successfully argued that English courts have jurisdiction to try offences committed abroad that are intended to result in criminal offences in England.
During the trial, the court heard Shy, after arriving in Britain, tried to delete the 'depraved messages' he had sent.
Other messages retrieved from his phone revealed he had discussed his sexual interest in children with others.
A cache of indecent images of children were discovered on his phone by police.
Officers also found several cuddly toys and condoms within Shy's luggage after his arrest.
The prosecution argued the items demonstrated 'a clear intent to win the child over' before abusing her.
On Wednesday, Shy was jailed for 11 years and six months after being found guilty of arranging the commission of a child sex offence – namely rape – and possessing indecent photographs of a child.
Shy was previously employed at banking group Citi, and had worked in a senior role at the US treasury department from 2008 to 2014, advising officials on countering the financing of terrorism and assisting foreign governments to impose sanctions on hostile regimes, the Daily Mail reported at the time of his arrest.
A spokesman from Citi said that Shy was no longer an employee following his arrest.
Shy was also deployed to Afghanistan to provide expertise to the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), set up to maintain stability following the America-led invasion of the country.
According to a LinkedIn page, he provided ISAF with counter-terrorist finance expertise, and went on to present the US's strategy on Afghanistan to a congressional hearing in 2010.
Lorraine Telford, of the CPS, said: 'Rahamim Shy is a predator who was fully prepared to commit unspeakable acts against a child for his own sexual gratification.
'It was clear from his explicit conversations and items he brought to England that he had only one intention, to commit rape against what he knew was a vulnerable child.
'The fact the child in this case did not exist makes no difference, and it is a credit to the police operation and subsequent prosecution that Shy will no longer pose an immediate threat.
'All children have the right to feel safe and protected, and I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working closely alongside law enforcement, will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who seek to sexually exploit children.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Controversial housing bill heads to governor's desk
Controversial housing bill heads to governor's desk

Yahoo

time15 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Controversial housing bill heads to governor's desk

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) —The 2025 session of Connecticut's state legislature has been over for more than a week, but a major piece of housing legislation passed by majority Democrats continues to cause controversy — and a chorus of calls for Gov. Ned Lamont to veto it. Connecticut House passes housing bill after 11-hour debate The legislation, formally known as House Bill 5002, is the latest in a series of Democratic-led efforts to implement statewide policies that spur the development of more housing. Proponents of statewide housing reform have cited research showing Connecticut's housing stock is short by as many as 100,000 units. Lawmakers clash over proposed affordable housing bill 'We know how imperative it is that we get more housing in the state,' Gov. Lamont said on Tuesday. But as the governor and others look for ways to use public policy to encourage more development, they've encountered resistance from leaders on both sides of the aisle who say provisions of H.B. 5002 encroach on the authorities of local zoning boards. Governor's Hartford residence to open for annual open house day Three provisions in particular have drawn the ire of defenders of local control of zoning. First, the bill establishes a baseline for the amount of units, including affordable units, each municipality in Connecticut must plan for. Municipalities that hit the goals outlined in the bill will be prioritized for certain state grants. Local leaders and legislators who oppose the bill have characterized that provision as a mandate. 'It absolutely is a mandate,' State Rep. Joe Zullo, a leading Republican opponent to 5002, said. 'It allocates to every town a certain amount of housing they have to build no matter what.' Supporters of 5002 push back on this characterization of the legislation. On the affordable housing metrics, they say the bill seeks to set objective standards while providing measured incentives to communities that comply. 'Gasoline on the flames:' Lamont, Tong, Bysiewicz respond to Trump administration's use of National Guard in California 'Any time you want to have a policy outcome, there needs to be an accountability measure and that's what we're talking about here,' State Rep. Jason Rojas, the Democratic house majority leader, said of the concept in an interview conducted before the final passage of the bill. 'We can call it a stick, I call it accountability. We expect every other area of government to be accountable for something. Towns should be accountable, too.' Another provision of 5002 takes aim at minimum parking requirements often imposed by municipalities on small towns. The third provision seeks to bypass planning and zoning hearings for the approval of conversions of certain commercial properties into residential units. These measures have also drawn considerable criticism. In both instances, advocates say the bill seeks to remove onerous barriers, while opponents charge that local control of development is being deeply eroded. H. B. 5002 passed through the legislature over the objections of every Republican and a relatively small but significant vocal faction of Democrats, mostly from the state's suburbs. Now the bill is passed and on the governor's desk awaiting action, Lamont is faced with the decision to either veto or sign it. He has signaled that if he signs it, he would only do so after an agreement had been made with legislative leaders to make revisions before the bill goes into effect in October. 'I think they went too far in some areas of the bill and that's what we look to change,' Lamont said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Trump 'gold card' website opens. Here's how to join the $5 million waitlist
Trump 'gold card' website opens. Here's how to join the $5 million waitlist

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Trump 'gold card' website opens. Here's how to join the $5 million waitlist

Trump 'gold card' website opens. Here's how to join the $5 million waitlist Show Caption Hide Caption Trump wants to sell $5 million 'gold cards' as path to citizenship President Donald Trump says he wants to offer wealthy immigrants "gold cards" that would give a pathway to citizenship in exchange for a $5 million purchase price. President Donald Trump's long-touted "gold card," which offers foreigners a path to U.S. citizenship after paying $5 million to the government, is open for business. But even if you have the money, there's a waitlist at And read the fine print carefully: Your $5 million doesn't buy you immediate citizenship. Trump has said that he is not seeking approval from Congress as he is not providing gold card buyers with citizenship - only a path to citizenship. The path to citizenship requirements for card buyers are unclear and White House officials have said more details will be provided soon. The most common path to U.S. citizenship through naturalization is being a lawful permanent resident for at least five years. It requires the applicant to be least 18 years old when they apply, be able to read, write, and speak basic English (depending on age) and be of "good moral character." Trump has described the card, which he has also dubbed the Trump card, as 'somewhat like a green card, but at a higher level of sophistication.' 'FOR FIVE MILLION $DOLLARS, THE TRUMP CARD IS COMING!,' President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on June 11. 'Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World.' The website shows an image of the gold-colored card, emblazoned with a likeness of Trump's face, and asks a few questions including name, region, email address and if an applicant is applying for themselves or as a business. The new website asks interested people to fill out a form that specifies eight regions: Europe, Asia (including Middle East), North America, Oceania, Central America, South America, Caribbean and Africa. Other countries also offer immigration programs that offers permanent residency or citizenship to foreign investors in exchange for investment. Portugal, for example, offers residency and a path to EU citizenship after five years. When he first floated the idea in February, Trump said the card would replace the "EB-5" immigrant investor green card visa program, The EB-5 visa allows immigrant investors the option to invest between $800,000 and $1.05 million to obtain a green card. The investment money is used to help create or preserve U.S. jobs. 'Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card,' Trump said in February. 'They'll be wealthy, and they'll be successful, and they'll be spending a lot of money, and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people.' 'It's a road to citizenship for people and essentially people of wealth or people of great talent where people of wealth pay for those people of talent to get in,' he said. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal

Pa. House passes bill to raise the minimum wage
Pa. House passes bill to raise the minimum wage

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Pa. House passes bill to raise the minimum wage

The state Capitol in Harrisburg. (Capital-Star file) The state House voted along party lines Wednesday to raise the minimum wage to $15 for most Pennsylvanians, and to $12 for those working in smaller, rural counties. It's a significant step in the latest effort by Democrats to get it above the federal rate of $7.25. Pennsylvania's minimum wage has not been hiked since 2008 and is lower than all surrounding states — New York, Ohio, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. The measure's sponsor, House Labor and Industry Committee chair Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia), said the bill is in an attempt to compromise with Republicans who have long warned about the potential impacts on businesses, especially in smaller counties with a lower cost of living. 'Since I've been chair, we've been trying to figure out a different approach to get this done,' Dawkins told the Capital-Star. 'This time around, we had a little bit more insight into where our challenges lie, one particularly being that some of our counties were worried about moving too quickly, and some were not comfortable going over $12.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A previous bill sponsored by Dawkins passed the House in 2023, but died in the Republican-controlled Senate. And in 2019, the Senate passed a Democratic-led bill to raise it to $9.25, which died in the then-GOP-controlled House. Dawkins' latest bill would see the minimum wage rise gradually each year, reaching $15 in most counties on Jan. 1, 2028. It would also raise the tipped minimum wage from $2.83 to 60% of the minimum. Counties with populations below 210,000, with the exception of Centre, Monroe and Pike counties, would only see the minimum wage rise to $12 in the same timeframe. A spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus said the three smaller counties were put in the $15 bracket at the request of Democratic members who represent them. One exception to the gradual rise to $15 would be Philadelphia County, which Dawkins represents. There, the minimum wage would rise to $15 on January 1, 2026. 'Philadelphia has the highest population of folks who are in what we call deep poverty levels,' Dawkins said. He added there is particular urgency given the possibility some of those people may lose access to federal benefits like Medicaid and food assistance under a proposed bill moving through the GOP-controlled U.S. Congress. 'We wanted to have some type of safety net there because we know those folks might be losing benefits and other services,' he said. But Dawkins' attempt to offer an olive branch to GOP lawmakers in the form of gradual wage hike and a lower target in small counties appears to have failed in his own chamber. Every House Republican voted against the bill, and many criticized it during a two-hour debate on the floor Wednesday afternoon. 'Not every wage is designed to be a livable wage,' Minority Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford) 'My 16-year-old son is not working for a livable wage. Someone who is retired and is helping out part-time, that is not necessarily a livable wage.' He also warned that raising the minimum wage could result in the elimination of low wage jobs and harm small businesses in particular. Others opposed the very provisions Dawkins said were intended to earn bipartisan support. Rep. Kate Klunk (R-York) warned that creating different minimum wages across counties could lead to confusion for businesses that cross county lines, or encourage business owners to set up shop where the wage is lower. 'This county-based patchwork of minimum wages is going to be a mess,' Klunk said. She used examples of businesses with locations in York and Adams counties as examples, including golf courses that straddle the border between them. 'This bill is truly unworkable,' she said. 'It is a compliance nightmare.' Rep. Mike Jones (R-York) was one of few Republicans to signal openness to raising the minimum wage during debate, but said he could not support Dawkins' bill. 'I do commend the majority chair for what I think is a good faith attempt at a reasonable compromise,' he said. However, he added that he would want to see exceptions to the minimum wage for nonprofits and high-school aged employees. 'Potential to find middle ground' To become law, the bill will have to pass the Republican-controlled Senate. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) said that there may be room for compromise on a minimum wage increase, especially if paired with Republican-backed deregulation efforts he said could help grow 'maximum wage jobs.' 'Making sure working families have access to good, family-sustaining jobs is key to helping our commonwealth grow and thrive,' Pittman told the Capital-Star in a statement. 'There is potential to finding [sic] a middle ground for an increase, but any possible action would need to be a commonsense adjustment, and sensitive to the impact changes would have on small businesses and non-profit organizations.' Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie), who has previously introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15, commended the House's effort, but said he would not support a bill with a county-by-county approach. 'While I appreciate that the House is trying to advance the conversation, I do not support HB 1549 in its current form,' Laughlin said in an emailed statement. 'A minimum wage tied to county size just deepens the economic divides we're supposed to be addressing. If we're going to get serious about raising the minimum wage, we need to do it uniformly across the state, not with a patchwork approach that leaves people behind based on where they live.' Laughlin was an early Republican supporter of raising the minimum wage to $15 in Pennsylvania. But national trends may indicate more openness from members of his party this time around. On Tuesday, conservative U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 for all Americans. He told NBC News, 'If we're going to be a working people's party, we have to do something for working people. And working people haven't gotten a raise in years. So they need a raise.' His comments reflect an openness to his party's increasing appeal to working class voters that was made apparent in the latest general election, which saw them move away from their traditional support of Democrats. Dawkins, the Pennsylvania bill's sponsor, is also aware of the shift, and hopes that it will help the bill earn the support that it needs to pass. 'I'm excited by the prospects, but I'm also disappointed that there could be a federal minimum wage that's gonna be higher than the state minimum wage — and it's being offered by one of the most conservative members of Congress,' he joked. 'But I'm hopeful it'll help folks come around to the idea.' 'This is what I believe we got elected to do,' he added. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store