CAMBRIDGE PAEDOPHILE SAZZAD MIAH SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS FOR HORRIFIC SEX OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN

In a case that has shocked the community of Cambridge, Sazzad Miah, an 83-year-old man, has been sentenced to a significant term of 25 years in prison after a series of heinous sexual offences committed against young children over a span of more than two decades.

Initially, Miah was convicted at Cambridge Crown Court in June 2018 of multiple serious charges, including four counts of rape, along with other sexual offences involving minors. The court heard that Miah had engaged in a pattern of abuse that spanned from 1992 to 2012, targeting four young girls, some as young as four years old at the time of their victimization.

He was originally sentenced to 18 years in prison, with an additional one-year extension on licence, a sentence that many considered to be too lenient given the severity of his crimes. Recognizing this, the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC, formally challenged the sentence, deeming it 'unduly lenient' and referring the case to the Court of Appeal in London.

Today, Lady Justice Rafferty, presiding over the appeal, concurred with the Solicitor General's assessment and increased Miah’s sentence to 25 years, reflecting the gravity of his offences and the need for a more appropriate punishment.

Details of the case reveal that Miah’s abuse involved multiple counts of indecent assault, indecency with a child, and rape, including the rape of a child under 13. The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), a restraining order that is indefinite, and mandated that Miah register as a sex offender for life.

Background reports indicate that Miah’s crimes were committed over a period that began in the early 1990s and continued into the early 2010s, with the victims being very young at the time of abuse. The court heard that one girl was abused over a 12-year period from 1992 to 2004, while another was victimized for eight years from 2004 to 2012. The victims ranged in age from four to ten years old at the time of their abuse.

Despite denying any wrongdoing, Miah was found guilty after a 16-day trial that concluded last month. The jury convicted him on five counts of indecent assault, two counts of indecency with a child, four counts of rape, two counts of raping a child under 13, four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Following his conviction, Miah was brought before Peterborough Crown Court last Tuesday, where he received his sentence. The court also ordered that he be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and remain subject to the restraining order and SHPO, ensuring ongoing restrictions and monitoring to protect the community from further harm.