MAN SENTENCED TO OVER SIX YEARS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT OF YOUNG GIRL
A man who followed a young girl through the Manx capital before sexually assaulting her has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.Mohammed Jabbar, 43, had been finishing his work at a fast food restaurant in Douglas when he followed the victim, who had walked past the restaurant on July 28.The court heard that Jabbar spoke to the girl shortly before leaving work and asked if he could give her a lift home.
The girl declined and walked away, but Jabbar continued to follow her before committing a sexual assault on Douglas beach.He was found guilty of sexual assault and sexual activity with a child, and the court described the victim as particularly vulnerable.
Jabbar followed the girl to a bus shelter on Duke Street, where another sexual activity occurred shortly before midnight.
CCTV footage showed Jabbar walking in the opposite direction of the victim before the offences took place.The court also noted an 18-minute period before the girl was seen walking away alone, during which Jabbar was observed walking in the opposite direction.
The victim told police she kept insisting she needed to leave, and her phone was out of battery during the assault.
Jabbar was arrested on August 8 and pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and three counts of sexual activity with a child.
The victim made a statement saying, "My life forever changed that night, he took away my innocence." She revealed difficulty sleeping, getting out of bed, and forming new relationships.Deemster Graeme Cook commented that the offences caused severe psychological harm and hoped she would recover.
Jabbar was placed under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, an exclusion order banning him from returning to the island after serving his sentence, and was registered on the sexual offenders' register for life.
Following the case, Detective Inspector Nick Haxby praised the victim's bravery and expressed hope that appropriate support would help her and her family find some closure.
