Awais Sheikh, 28, has been sentenced to two years in prison after travelling from Sheffield to Telford to meet a 15-year-old schoolgirl. The man from Rotherham was caught following his online grooming of the teenager and subsequent in-person meeting.
Sheikh was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday, April 13, for the offence of meeting a child following sexual grooming.
Using Snapchat and Instagram in October 2024, Sheikh contacted the girl while pretending to be 25 years old, although he was actually 28. He sent friend requests and flattering messages to the teenager. Initially, the victim ignored the friend request but later accepted it and informed Sheikh that she was 15 years old. Despite this, Sheikh continued to message her, complimenting her appearance.
A few weeks later, Sheikh drove approximately 100 miles from Yorkshire to Telford to pick the girl up from school. After meeting her outside the school, he took her to McDonald’s before going to a secluded location near the Wrekin.
The girl was reported missing, which led to police involvement. Officers found her at the Wrekin and discovered condoms and cannabis in Sheikh’s car glovebox. He was arrested and charged accordingly.
On Monday, Sheikh received a 22-month prison sentence for the grooming offence, along with an additional two months for breaching a suspended sentence. The judge also ordered Sheikh to be placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
This case underscores the dangers of online grooming and the prompt legal action taken against such predatory behaviour.
Originally published by UKNIP.
