SHAHMAAN AHMED SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN READING

In June 2021, Shahmaan Ahmed, of Roman Road in London, was sentenced to eight years in prison after traveling to Reading with the apparent intent to sexually abuse two young children. Ahmed believed the children to be three and eight years old; he even purchased sweets for them during his visit in August 2020. However, the children were not real, as the meeting was part of an undercover operation. Ahmed also brought a 'sexual item' with him to the meeting and was arrested by officers from Thames Valley’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team.

He was found guilty of child sex offences by a jury in February. During his trial, Ahmed attempted to justify his actions by claiming he was trying to expose others involved in sexual exploitation. Nonetheless, the jury unanimously convicted him on all four counts.

Court proceedings revealed that Ahmed's intentions were clearly malicious, with evidence showing he traveled specifically to Reading believing he would be engaging in abuse. A particularly distressing aspect of this case is that Ahmed brought sweets to give to the children he believed he was going to harm, including a child as young as three years old.