RIZWAN KHAN FROM ARTHUR'S HILL FACES JAIL FOR FAILING TO REPORT SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES AFTER GROOMING KIDS ONLINE

In May 2023, Rizwan Khan, a man residing in Arthur’s Hill, found himself back in trouble with the law due to his failure to comply with mandatory sex offender registration rules. Khan, a convicted sex offender with a history of grooming children online, is now facing potential imprisonment after authorities uncovered his secret social media profiles, which he had not disclosed to police as required by law.

Rizwan Khan was initially ordered to register as a sex offender in 2016 following a conviction related to grooming minors via the internet. As part of his legal obligations, he was instructed to inform authorities of any online usernames or profiles he used on social media platforms. Despite these clear instructions, Khan failed to adhere to these requirements, a breach that has now come to light.

The situation escalated in September of the previous year when police issued a reminder to Khan about his obligation to report all social media accounts. Nevertheless, in the subsequent months, Khan created and maintained three clandestine profiles on popular platforms TikTok and Snapchat. These profiles included usernames that he deliberately kept hidden from law enforcement, raising concerns about his compliance and intentions.

It was only after police investigations that officers identified the three different usernames associated with Khan’s online activity. During questioning, Khan claimed that he did not understand the rules regarding the registration of social media profiles, asserting a lack of awareness about the legal requirements. His claims did not prevent his arrest, and he was subsequently charged with three counts of failing to notify authorities about his online identities.

The court proceedings took place at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, where Rob Lawson, the prosecutor, outlined Khan’s history and recent misconduct. He emphasized that Khan had been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register in 2016 due to his grooming activities and was explicitly reminded in September last year to report any new social media usernames. Despite this, police discovered that in 2022 and 2023, Khan had continued to use additional usernames on TikTok and Snapchat, some of which he created with the intent to conceal his identity.

Particularly concerning was the second username on TikTok, which consisted of a string of numbers. Prosecutors argued that this was a deliberate attempt to evade detection, marking it as the most serious breach of his registration obligations. The other two usernames included his own name, but the presence of the numeric profile indicated a clear intent to hide his online activity.

During the hearing, District Judge Paul Currer acknowledged the gravity of the offences. He noted that Khan had pleaded guilty but stated that the offences were so serious that his powers of sentencing at the magistrates’ level were insufficient. Consequently, he ordered the case to be transferred to Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing. Khan was given a firm date to appear—June 14 at 10 am—and was warned that failure to attend would constitute a further offence. The judge also ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report to assist in determining the appropriate punishment for Khan’s repeated violations and ongoing risk to the community.