Man who groomed child online sentenced to three years

A Redditch man who groomed a child online has been sentenced to three years following an investigation by West Mercia Police’s Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET).

Umar Dawood, 36, of Evesham Road, Redditch pled guilty at Worcester Crown Court to three charges on Monday 10 June.

Dawood was sentenced to three years for causing a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, nine months concurrent for being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one month concurrent for possessing extreme pornography.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order, ordered to register as a sex offender and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

Detective Sergeant Pete Wheeler, of West Mercia Police’s OCSET, said: “Dawood previously held a position of trust and was a local Imam teaching children within the local community. He also volunteered with a local children’s charity.

“The outcome of this investigation goes some way to ensuring that he us not able to work with children in the future and we hope will provide some reassurance that this offending has attracted a custodial sentence.”

• You can find advice about child abuse and child sexual exploitation via the links under this section of our website here Advice about child abuse | West Mercia Police .
• You can report sexual offences and rape here on our website Report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | West Mercia Police Always call 999 in an emergency.
• Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting crimestoppers-uk.org .

JI, Corporate Communications