He was put on the sex offenders register for life
A catfish child molester teacher posed as a teenage boy as a ruse to chase girls as young as 13. Creep Syed Shahreear Ahmed, 37, groomed six girls online aged between 13 and 15 by creating and sending foul photos, targeting teenagers across five counties.
He would then manipulate his child victims into a face to face meeting where he would then seriously sexually assault the young girls. His vile behaviour first emerged in May two years ago after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.
The court heard how Ahmed’s offending first came to light in May 2023 after a 15-year-old girl bravely reported to Kent Police that she had been approached by Ahmed via social media app, Wizz.
That same month a 14-year-old girl met Ahmed after speaking online. He tried to sexually assault her in his car by touching her thigh. But the terrified girl leapt out of Ahmed’s moving car to safety and reported the assault to Kent Police on the same day who began to make enquiries.
Following the two reports, a further four victims were identified and approached directly by police. The incidents saw Ahmed, using a fake persona, befriend the girls via social media, before quickly encouraging them to meet in real life.
The paedophile was arrested in May 2023 by Kent Police on suspicion of sexual assault, grooming and kidnap. But the Met Police quickly took control of the investigation due to the huge spread of the victims. Two of Ahmed’s phones contained around 500 GB of data including social media and text messages, videos and images.
The 37-year-old, of Mossford Lane, Barkingside, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court earlier today (Friday, September 26) to 15 years. He will be on the sex offenders register for life as well as spending a further five years on licence upon his release.
Ahmed was found guilty, at the same court, on Friday, June 13 of 14 child sex offences. The verdict is the result of an investigation that saw Ahmed offending spanned five English counties.
He was found guilty of three counts of rape of a child, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault. He was also hit with two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and five counts of meeting a child for sexual grooming.
He had already pleaded guilty to one count of taking an indecent image of a child, as well as three counts of making indecent images of children. The images ranged from category A – the most severe – to category C.
‘He attacked girls as young as 14’
Detective Inspector Peter Harvey said: “It is due to the bravery of the girls who came forward that we have been able to achieve this outcome and I thank them for providing the evidence needed to ensure Ahmed will face a long term of imprisonment. During a long-running and complex investigation alongside Cambridgeshire, Thames Valley, Essex and Kent Police, we were able to piece together Ahmed’s offending.
“He would track children online, before quickly manufacturing a personal meeting and carrying out the most appalling acts on girls as young as 14-years-old. A manipulative serial predator, I remain concerned that Ahmed may have committed other offences that have yet to be reported to us.
“I would urge anyone who may recognise this man and believe he may have come into contact with you or your loved ones to please contact us immediately. Specialist officers are available to offer support and signpost to external partners. Any reports will be fully investigated and dealt with the utmost sensitivity, care and compassion.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues from Cambridgeshire, Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, Essex and Kent Police who showed true professionalism and determination and were key in bringing Ahmed to justice.”
How do I report a similar crime?
If you live in England or Wales and have been affected by this case and would like to seek support from specialist agencies, please contact the independent charity Rape Crisis via their 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line or call them on 0808 500 2222.
Specially trained staff are there to listen, answer questions and offer emotional support.
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