Islamic tutor who raped pupil, 14, while teaching her Koran jailed 19 yrs

Islamic studies tutor, 31, who raped a pupil, 14, while teaching her the Koran is jailed for 19 years 

An Islamic studies tutor who sexually assaulted a young girl over a five-year period has been jailed for 19 years after she delayed having an abortion so she could prove he was the father.

Mohammed Islam, 31, from Bethnal Green, east London, began molesting the girl in 2010 when she was aged nine and at a time when he was teaching the Koran to schoolchildren in the East End.

He continued to sexually assault her over the next five years, before raping her when she was 14.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard the attacks escalated in seriousness over the five-year period and she ‘felt powerless to stop him’ when he eventually raped and impregnated her in July last year.

Mohammed Islam, 31, from Bethnal Green, began molesting the girl in 2010 when she was nine and continued over a five-year period before raping her when she was 14, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard (pictured)

The 14-year-old, from west London, delayed having an abortion so she could prove his crimes.

Robert Brown, prosecuting, told the court: ‘A profile was obtained that was identical to this defendant. The Crown say he was clearly the father of that foetus.’

Islam initially claimed his victim had initiated sex but admitted rape and sexual activity with a child on the first day of trial when she turned up to give evidence against him.

A victim impact statement provided by the girl’s father highlighted the ‘pain and distress’ the abuse had caused the family.

‘What Mohammed has done to my daughter has broken me,’ the statement read.

‘In our religion she is no longer considered a virgin and is therefore unable or unlikely to get married to have a family.

‘I am devastated. I am so angry.

‘I only hope and pray for her that this abuse will not have a long term effect on her.’

Judge Sarah Paneth jailed Islam for 19 years for rape and handed him concurrent sentences of five years and two-and-a-half years for four counts of sexually assaulting a child and two of sexual activity with a child respectively.

I do not accept that a nine-year old child could possibly have instigated any sexual activity with you – Judge Sarah Paneth

Sending him to prison, she said: ‘I do not accept that a nine-year old child could possibly have instigated any sexual activity with you.

‘I do not accept that she could in any sense encourage you.

‘You were respected as a religious man teaching young children the Koran and while I fully accept that the community centre had no difficulties with you teaching children, what you did over a long period of time – five years – to this young child demonstrates to me that there is a significant risk of serious harm being caused by you to members of the public, as it is young children in this case, particularly young girls.

‘These offences have had a devastating effect on a beautiful and brave young girl who I was fortunate enough to meet when she attended court.

‘I hope that over time you will show greater empathy than you have for her position.

‘You seem, both from the pre-sentence report and from what has been said, to be most concerned about the effect of all this on you.’

The judge also made Islam the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to sign the sex offender’s register.

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