August 2018 Audiologist bragged about having ‘access to children’ and sent explicit messages to paedophile hunters A former health care professional sent explicit messages and an inappropriate photo to a member of a ‘paedophile hunter’ group posing as a 12 year-old girl. Kasim Ali, 23, bragged about his job to the decoy, saying he worked as an audiologist and that he had ‘access to children’. A judge said the ex-North Manchester General Hospital worker ‘effectively sentenced himself’ after throwing his career away and ‘disgracing’ his family. Details of his crimes were plastered across the internet after the ‘Silent Justice’ group, which aims to snare would-be sex offenders, filmed members confronting him. Ali, from Oldham, avoided being sent to prison as he was handed a three-year community order. Minshull Street Crown Court heard he sent messages to a child he believed to be called ‘Emily’ on a dating site last September. The profile had in fact been set up by Silent Justice. Despite ‘Emily’ telling Ali she was only 12, he swapped phone numbers and asked to continue the conversation on WhatsApp, the court heard. He chose the app because of its ‘perceived security and privacy’. The conversation became sexual ‘in a relatively short period of time’, Duncan Wilcox, prosecuting, said. Ali sent ‘Emily’ a picture of him lying in his bed before asking for images in return, saying he was performing an inappropriate act. A picture of a man’s genitals was sent and Ali graphically described lewd acts he wanted ‘Emily’ to perform. He told her to delete the messages to make sure her parents didn’t find out, the court heard. He bragged about his job, the court heard, ‘saying he worked as an audiologist in a hospital and in particular as a result of his job that he had access to children’, Mr Wilcox said A YouTube video, not shown in court, showed members of the Silent Justice group confronting Ali and waiting for police to arrive. When searching his house, officers identified his bedroom and duvet cover from the photo he sent ‘Emily’. Ali, of Falmouth Street, Oldham, denied any wrongdoing in his police interview saying he had never used the dating site and that someone must have hacked him and used his details. But he later pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child under the age of 13 into non-penetrative sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child. Judge Angela Nield told Ali there was ‘an element of grooming and a significant age disparity between you and the decoy child’. She said had there been a real child involved, Alie would have been sent straight to jail. The fact no children were harmed meant he could be rehabilitated in the community, the judge added. Ali was sentenced to a three-year community order and must take part in a special sex offender treatment programme. He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, which places tight restrictions on his future access to children. Ali will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults. Judge Nield told Ali: “Emily didn’t exist, happily, for you and for her and there was no child hurt by these offences. “If this had indeed been a child under the age of 13 a custodial sentence would have been inevitable, and an immediate custodial sentence at that. “This sentence is predicated largely on the fact you have essentially sentenced yourself. “You have lost your career, suffered public humiliation and been met with disapproval from your close knit community. “You have, as you accept, brought shame on your family.”