BRADFORD SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR GROOMING AND ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRL

A "cold and calculated" sex offender who pretended to be a teenage boy on social media to groom and abuse an 11-year-old girl has been sentenced to over ten years in prison. Abdullah Khalid Mhana, 26, of Hirst Lodge Court, Bradford, admitted to 17 offenses including rape, sexual assault, and the possession of indecent images of a child. During court proceedings at Bradford Crown Court, it was revealed that Mhana began grooming the girl in 2020 and subsequently met her in a Bradford park a year later, persuading her to perform a sex act. He recorded some of these acts on his mobile phone, which was later seized by police in 2022. Despite being warned by authorities to stay away from another underage girl, Mhana continued his sexual activities with the first victim after she turned 13. The court also heard that he deliberately sought out younger victims and engaged in manipulative behavior to maintain contact.

Recorder Andrew Dallas emphasized that Mhana's actions were "cold, calculating," and that he had shown little remorse. The judge stated, "This was in my judgement cold, calculating behaviour in which you deliberately sought out the sexual favours of someone who you knew to be 11 years of age." Dallas condemned Mhana's continued offending despite police warnings, noting that Mhana's conduct was grave and lacked genuine remorse or empathy for the victims. As part of his sentence, Mhana will serve at least two-thirds of his prison term and will be subject to an extended licence period of two and a half years. Additionally, he will be registered as a sex offender for life. The court highlighted that Mhana's conduct was premeditated and that he manipulated the victim even after her initial refusal to maintain contact, ultimately persuading her to meet him in his car for sex, which he then recorded. The judge commented that Mhana's behavior was "deliberately sought out" and that his failure to change after police warnings indicated a continued risk. The case underscores the severity of his offences and the dangerous predatory nature of his actions.