Autistic girl raped by paedophile - culture
A man who raped young girls after grooming them on social media has been jailed for 15 years. Tarek Miah, formerly of Salvington, Worthing, contacted girls in West Sussex online and then carried out the abuse. The 20-year-old admitted four counts of rape on one victim, aged under 13, between 2023 and 2024. His first victim was an autistic 12-year-old, Portsmouth Crown Court heard. His second victim was nine when he began grooming her.
Judge Michael Bowes KC said that a pre-sentence report found repeated sexual offences of girls were likely to occur, adding that Miah posed "a very high risk against the public".
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Miah moved to the UK from Bangladesh at the age of three, the court was told. Referring to Miah's probation report, prosecutor Steven Molloy said that his culture "may affect his attitude" towards girls, BBC reports.
He added: "He moved here when he was three so he should have, as the probation report calls it, English moral values and laws."
The court heard that Miah was 17 when he started speaking to his first victim on social media, and how, when they first met, he picked her up in his car and drove her to a friend's house where the offences took place. Later, the abuse continued in the back of a car and on his bed. Miah began grooming his second victim when he was 18 and she was nine.
When interviewed by police, Miah said that he had been "messing around", describing his actions as "a silly mistake" and "typical experimentation" for someone his age.
Abigail Bright, defending, said that Miah had apologised, and that his young age, lack of maturity and previously clean record should be considered.
But prosecutor Molloy said that the risk he posed to girls was "noted as very high and imminent".
Miah admitted four counts of rape of a girl under the age of 13 in between 2023 and 2024. He admitted two counts of false imprisonment, one count of inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity, one count of inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, causing a child under the age of 13 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, and one count of making an indecent image of a child.
Detective Constable Peter Parkinson said: "Tarek Miah is a dangerous offender who deliberately targeted young girls.
"We are very pleased with the sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and hope this outcome brings some measure of closure to the victims and their families.
"I would also like to commend the children who came forward and showed immense courage in standing up to their abuser. Their bravery has ensured that Tarek Miah is serving a significant custodial sentence and has prevented him from harming other children."
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