Police have released a picture of an asylum seeker who raped a 12-year-old girl after luring her to a flat above a shop by telling her the streets were “not safe”. Syrian national Mohammed Wahid Mohammed was employed illegally at Villa Supermarket in Handsworth, Birmingham, when the victim, a runaway, was brought into the store by a homeless woman.
The 22-year-old groomed her with a vape, crisps and a fizzy drink before taking her upstairs. The girl, who had initially acted older than she was, eventually told him she was only 12 – but Wahid Mohammed simply locked the door and raped her repeatedly. Afterwards, she was rescued at a nearby takeaway by an Asian family, one of whom apparently punched the defendant.
Wahid Mohammed, who had lived at Lord Street, Walsall, was jailed for 12 years with an extended five-year licence period at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, July 17, reported Birmingham Live.
West Midlands Police has now released the custody photo of the child rapist, who openly wept during the hearing.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13, but a jury also found him guilty of three charges of rape, which he had denied.
Judge Roderick Henderson described Wahid Mohammed as a “dangerous” offender, adding: “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.”
It would be for the authorities to decide at a later stage whether Wahid Mohammed will be deported, he added.
The girl left her home on September 24 last year. She caught a train and ended up in Birmingham city centre around 8.30pm.
Prosecutor Andrew Wallace 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, then led her to the upstairs bedroom where he had been sleeping.
Mr Wallace continued: “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 takeaway.
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 he was arrested, Wahid Mohammed initially claimed the girl had consented to sexual activity, before he was informed she was too young to do so legally.
Nicholas Devine, defending, said his client had led a difficult life but had never previously broken the law. He confirmed Wahid Mohammed’s girlfriend had decided to stay with him and support him.