AZHER KHAN FROM LONGSIGHT CAUGHT BY PAEDOPHILE HUNTERS IN SANDBACH SERVICES

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online predators, Azher Khan, a 42-year-old man from Longsight, was sentenced to prison after being caught in a sting operation conducted by a paedophile hunting group. The incident unfolded when Khan, reportedly feeling lonely, entered an internet chatroom with the intent of seducing what he believed to be two underage girls, both aged 14. Unbeknownst to him, the 'girls' he was communicating with were actually adult women working undercover for a vigilant group dedicated to exposing online predators.

According to court proceedings, Khan engaged in a series of explicit exchanges with these women, who posed as minors under the aliases Cassie and Mollie. The conversations began on June 27 of that year and continued until July 31. During this period, Khan repeatedly expressed his desire to have sex with 'Cassie,' even going as far as stating his wish to make her pregnant. The messages he sent were described as highly explicit and graphic, including invitations for 'Cassie' to send photographs of herself. The undercover operatives had seen enough and promptly contacted the police, revealing that Khan had also been in contact with another woman posing as Mollie, also 14.

Further investigations uncovered that Khan had exchanged messages with Mollie over the course of a week, sending links to explicit videos from a website called 'nubiles,' which demonstrated sexual acts. These exchanges also took place via WhatsApp. An arrangement was made for Khan to meet one of the 'girls' at Sandbach services on August 3, but police intervened before the meeting could occur.

During police interviews, Khan initially claimed he believed the girl he was talking to was 18 or 19 years old. However, the evidence and the undercover operation proved otherwise. The court heard that Khan had no previous convictions but had been attacked while in prison, adding context to his background.

Judge Suzanne Goddard QC addressed Khan directly, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions. She stated, 'You are before the court for using the internet to contact girls who you thought were under 16. They both made it clear they were under 16. You engaged in conversations with them and you arranged to meet one of them at which point you were ousted by this group of people who engage actively in catching people such as yourself over the internet.'

She also remarked on Khan's apparent remorse, suggesting that his shame might be more about being caught than genuine regret. Despite his refusal to admit guilt during police interviews and attempts to deflect responsibility, the court found his conduct deeply troubling.

In sentencing, Judge Goddard imposed a custodial term of 12 months in prison. Additionally, Khan was subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and is required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. Khan, who resides on Hopkins Street in Longsight, pleaded guilty to six counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of attempting to meet a child for sexual grooming. As he was led away to serve his sentence, he looked toward his family members, who offered him smiles, unaware of the full extent of his crimes.