OMMAR ZAFAR FROM SHOBNAL SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN BURTON

In May 2012, a disturbing case of grooming and sexual assault involving a 13-year-old girl from Burton came to light, leading to the conviction and sentencing of Ommar Zafar, a 29-year-old man from Shobnal. Zafar, who had established an online relationship with the young girl, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison after being found guilty of grooming and sexually assaulting her.

According to court proceedings, Zafar initially made contact with the girl through the social networking platform Facebook. Over time, their online interactions escalated, with Zafar sending flirtatious messages to her mobile phone. The girl, who was only 13 at the time, was manipulated into inviting Zafar to her home in Horninglow one evening in March of the previous year. Unbeknownst to her family, Zafar arrived at her residence carrying bottles of alcohol, which he attempted to persuade her to drink, despite her being home alone.

Stafford Crown Court heard that Zafar's intentions quickly turned sinister. He physically pinned the girl down and sexually assaulted her. Prosecutor Alex Barnfield detailed the assault, stating, “He touched her on the stomach, moving his hand so it brushed the underside of her breast. She made it plain these advances were not welcome.” The girl, who cannot be publicly identified due to legal restrictions, managed to find an excuse to leave the room and immediately sent a text message to her mother, alerting her to the situation.

When her mother arrived at the house, a heated confrontation ensued, during which Zafar fled the scene. The girl’s mother expressed her outrage and heartbreak, saying, “My daughter had been talking to him for a few weeks without anyone’s knowledge. When he did what he did, she screamed and screamed but he acted like nothing had happened. She went through this ordeal just a week before her 14th birthday.” She also revealed her daughter’s academic performance was negatively impacted by the trauma, with attendance dropping to just 42 percent at one point.

The mother further disclosed that Zafar, who was familiar with her family, had previously made inappropriate comments about her daughter and her older sister, referring to them as ‘beautiful’ during conversations. She admitted she initially dismissed these remarks as harmless, unaware of Zafar’s true intentions.

During the trial, Judge Paul Glenn condemned Zafar’s predatory behavior, emphasizing that he had spent over a year denying his guilt before finally pleading guilty on April 2. The judge highlighted the premeditated nature of the crime, noting that Zafar knew the girl was babysitting alone and deliberately targeted her. “Your immediate reaction when confronted was to try to persuade her to lie. You were trying to save your own skin when you claimed you had been ‘set up’ and she was fabricating her account,” Judge Glenn stated. He described Zafar’s actions as taking advantage of a vulnerable, immature girl.

In a heartfelt victim impact statement, the girl expressed her desire for her story to be known publicly, stating, “I want everyone to know I wasn’t lying.” Her courage in speaking out was acknowledged by the court.

Defense lawyer Steve Hennessy admitted that Zafar’s conduct was disgusting and that he should have exercised better judgment, especially regarding the text messaging and the decision to visit the girl’s home alone. Hennessy emphasized that the incident was initiated by the girl and that Zafar regarded his own behavior as damaging to his life.

Detective Inspector Lisa Cumberbatch of Staffordshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People Department, which prosecuted the case, reaffirmed the force’s commitment to tackling sexual abuse. She stated, “We take all reports of sexual assault and abuse very seriously and we are determined to bring offenders to justice.” Zafar’s conviction and sentencing serve as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding vulnerable children from predators in the community.