ABDUL MOTLIB FROM BURSTLEM INVOLVED IN DISTURBING FACEBOOK MESSAGES WITH 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN STOKE-ON-TRENT

In November 2013, a serious case of online grooming and inappropriate communication came to light involving Abdul Motlib, a 26-year-old waiter from Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. The incident centered around his interactions with a 15-year-old girl who was a regular customer at the Indian Cottage restaurant where he was employed.

Initially, Motlib’s contact with the girl appeared to be innocent and friendly. He asked for her father’s Facebook details and was subsequently accepted as a friend by the teenager. Over time, what started as casual online exchanges quickly escalated into more troubling messages. Motlib began to send her persistent messages through Facebook, expressing affection and making inappropriate comments.

He also managed to obtain her mobile phone number, which he used to send her text messages. His attempts to deepen the communication included trying to arrange meetings, despite the girl’s clear indication that she was only 15 years old. The situation worsened when Motlib, who was living on Exmouth Grove in Burslem, started to beg her for photographs of herself, explicitly asking for images of her body. Just two days after initiating contact, he declared his love for her, claiming he wanted to ‘sleep in her arms’ and to ‘kiss her body.’

Prosecutor Paul Farrow provided details to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, explaining that Motlib’s messages became increasingly persistent. The girl, who believed he was around 18, thought he was older, as her mother also believed he was an adult. In reality, Motlib was 25 at the time. Despite her repeated refusals and her insistence that she was only 15, Motlib continued to push for a meeting. He suggested various times and locations, but the girl always insisted she would bring friends along for safety.

It was only when her mother discovered the messages that the situation reached a critical point. The mother reported the matter to the police, who then questioned Motlib. During police interviews, he claimed he thought the girl was 16 and that he had missed her message revealing her true age. He also stated that he told her he was only 18 to see how she would react and claimed he did not have any malicious intentions. He insisted that he ‘didn’t mean it’ when he professed love and that he believed he was acting without any harmful motives.

Nevertheless, the court found that Motlib had attempted to facilitate or arrange a child sex offence. As a result, Judge David Fletcher sentenced him to a 12-month supervision order and placed him on the sex offenders register for five years. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the case, stating, “You are a man who became obsessed with a 15-year-old girl. She says you looked younger than the 26 we know you are. You may have taken a view she looked older, but you knew she was 15. You should not have continued with that relationship.”

During mitigation, Jason Holt argued that Motlib’s actions did not go beyond wanting to kiss the girl. Holt also remarked that if it weren’t for recent publicity surrounding grooming within the Asian community, this case might not have been reported. The court’s decision underscores the importance of addressing online grooming and protecting minors from exploitation and harm in the digital age.