6 days ago
Pictured: Syrian asylum seeker who raped runaway girl, 12, after telling her the 'streets were not safe' and promising her vape and fizzy drinks
A Syrian asylum seeker raped a 12-year-old girl in a room above a shop where he was illegally working after telling her 'the streets were not safe'.
Mohammed Wahid Mohammed, 22, groomed the youngster with a vape, fizzy drinks, and crisps before locking her in a bedroom and repeatedly attacking her.
She had run away from home and caught a train to Birmingham before being brought to the Villa supermarket in Handsworth, West Midlands, by a concerned homeless woman.
The girl was later rescued by an Asian family at a nearby takeaway where one of my members punched Wahid Mohammed.
Wahid Mohammed, who had lived at Lord Street, Walsall, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, July 17, to 12 years in prison with an extended five-year licence.
It is not known if the child rapist will be deported with a judge saying it would be up to the authorities to decide at a later date.
He had admitted two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 but a jury also found him guilty of three charges of rape.
Judge Roderick Henderson ruled Wahid Mohammed was a 'dangerous' offender and said: 'This was a sustained event, albeit on one day.
'There was some grooming although it was limited in time.
'But you exploited her because she was plainly young and effectively away from home.'
The girl left her home on September 24 last year before boarding a train and ending up in Birmingham city centre around 8.30pm.
Andrew Wallace, prosecuting, said: 'She had a couple of pounds on her. A homeless lady approached her.
'She bought the lady a cup of tea. The homeless lady then walked her down Villa Road to Villa Supermarket.
'As soon as the defendant saw her he said: "You look really young. You look really cold do you want to come into the shop? It's warm in there, I'll get you something to eat and drink".'
He added: 'He knew she was far away from home, there was discussion about that.
'Ironically, he told her it wasn't safe on the streets. He coaxed her into the shop under the pretence of being concerned. Really he only had sex in mind.'
Wahid Mohammed told the girl to take a vape, crisps and fizzy drink from the shelves.
He then led her to the upstairs bedroom where he had been sleeping.
Mr Wallace told the court: 'He led her to a bedroom and leant in to kiss her. She said "woah you know I'm only 12". It's quite plain at one stage she was pretending to be older.'
Wahid Mohammed sexually abused the girl for an hour before they went to a nearby takeway.
Mr Wallace said: 'A young Asian family was there and were concerned about him and her.
'There was a suggestion an Asian male thumped the defendant because of his concern.
'She pretended she was older. Some sort of Facebook alarm showed she had run away from home so they took her back to where she belonged.'
After being arrested Wahid Mohammed initially claimed the girl had consented to sexual activity before he was informed she was too young to legally consent.
Nicholas Devine, defending, said his client had led a 'difficult life' but had never previously committed a crime.
He confirmed his girlfriend had decided to stay with him and support him.
