MOHAMMED HUSSAIN FROM HARPENDEN ESCAPES JAIL AFTER GROOMING YOUNG GIRLS ONLINE

In a case that has drawn significant attention in Harpenden, Mohammed Hussain, a resident of Longfield Road, narrowly avoided a custodial sentence after being convicted of serious online grooming offences involving young girls. The investigation, which culminated in his arrest in July 2012, revealed disturbing evidence of his activities in online chat rooms where he targeted teenage girls aged between 13 and 16.

Police officers executed a search warrant at Hussain’s property, uncovering more than 20 indecent photographs of children stored on his electronic devices. These images ranged in severity, with some classified as level one, indicating a lower degree of explicitness, while others, including a level four image, demonstrated more serious content. The possession of such images is a grave offence, and Hussain’s case was brought before St Albans Magistrates Court.

Hussain, aged 24 at the time, had previously pleaded guilty to the charges in October. His activities spanned from June 28, 2010, to June 24, 2012, during which he created four level one images of children and one level four image. His email account and smartphones contained these illicit images, which he had requested from the young girls he engaged with online.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Hussain was employed at a restaurant and had taken steps to rebuild his life after serving a previous custodial sentence for sexual activity with a minor. He had taken on two jobs and was attending college, efforts that his solicitor, Sohail Bashir, highlighted in his mitigation statement. Bashir emphasized that Hussain had made some positive changes and suggested that he was unlikely to reoffend.

Despite these arguments, District Judge Mary Connelly expressed concern over Hussain’s understanding of his offending. She noted that a probation officer had recommended the imposition of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) to prevent him from owning devices capable of storing images or accessing the internet unless browsing history could be monitored. The judge explained that such an order was necessary to protect the public, especially given the nature of his offences, which involved grooming and manipulation of vulnerable minors.

Hussain was sentenced to a three-year supervised community order, which includes participation in a treatment programme. Additionally, he is prohibited from deleting his internet browsing history, must surrender any relevant devices to the police upon request, and has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years. The court’s decision underscores the seriousness of his actions and the ongoing risk posed by individuals involved in such offences in the Harpenden area.