KARL SABBAGH FROM BLOXHAM SENTENCED FOR GROOMING CHILD IN DUBLIN AND CRIMES AGAINST VULNERABLE TEEN

In October 2019, Karl Sabbagh, a well-known author and filmmaker residing in Crab Tree Close, Bloxham, was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of grooming a vulnerable 14-year-old girl. The case revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior by Sabbagh, who, despite his reputation in literary and academic circles, engaged in a calculated campaign of exploitation against a young teenager.

According to court proceedings, Sabbagh initiated contact with his young victim towards the end of 2016 through various digital platforms, including email, Kik Messenger, text messages, and phone calls. Over time, their conversations, which initially revolved around films and literature, took a sinister turn as Sabbagh began to send explicit videos of himself performing sexual acts. Prosecutors detailed that many of these images fell into the highest category of illegal content, Category A, which includes the most severe forms of banned imagery.

As the relationship progressed, Sabbagh requested the girl to stop shaving her pubic hair and later sent her a vibrator through the mail, further crossing boundaries of appropriate conduct. The court heard that he also asked her to send photographs of herself without underwear and made comments about her appearance and grooming habits. In addition, Sabbagh sent her a vibrator, jewelry, and 100 Euros, indicating a pattern of manipulative and exploitative behavior.

In a significant development, Sabbagh arranged to meet the girl at a hotel in Dublin. The court was told that during this 40-minute encounter, no sexual activity occurred, but Sabbagh's actions and physical contact, including grabbing her arm, underscored the seriousness of his intentions and the manipulative nature of his conduct. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was described as being in a fragile and vulnerable state at the time, highlighting the severity of the abuse she endured.

When Sabbagh was arrested, he chose not to comment during police interviews but later admitted to one count of grooming a child under 16. His defense lawyer, Alison Gurden, argued that her client did not pose a high or medium risk of reoffending and emphasized his prominence in the academic and literary worlds. However, the court did not find these arguments sufficient to mitigate the gravity of his crimes.

Judge Peter Ross, presiding over the case at Oxford Crown Court, described Sabbagh's grooming behavior as 'sophisticated' and expressed concern over the manipulative tactics used against a vulnerable young girl. In his sentencing, Sabbagh was sentenced to 45 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses and the need for ongoing monitoring to protect the public from potential future harm.