YOUSAF CHOUDHRY CAUGHT IN STING AT MCDONALD'S IN GORTON AND STRETFORD

In a significant case highlighting the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online predation, Yousaf Choudhry, a 54-year-old man from Stretford, was apprehended in a police operation at a McDonald's restaurant located in Gorton. The incident took place in May 2010, when Choudhry arrived at the fast-food outlet with the apparent intention of meeting a young girl he believed to be 13 years old, with whom he had been exchanging sexually explicit messages via MSN, a popular webchat platform at the time.

Unbeknownst to him, the individual he was communicating with was an undercover police officer posing as a teenage girl as part of Operation Monsoon, a dedicated initiative aimed at identifying and apprehending online predators. During the online exchanges, Choudhry, who used the alias 'love4ever,' claimed to be 35 years old and even promised to buy the girl a mobile phone, further indicating his intentions. Over the course of three days, he engaged in approximately six hours of increasingly sexualized email conversations, which culminated in his decision to meet at the McDonald's in Gorton on May 7.

When Choudhry arrived at the location, he was met by officers from Greater Manchester Police who promptly arrested him. The police investigation revealed that he had no prior criminal record, and he was initially charged with attempting to make contact for sexual purposes with a minor. During the court proceedings, his defense attorney, Paul Dockery, argued that Choudhry had not initially intended to pursue contact with an underage girl, as he believed the individual he was communicating with was older until she revealed her age.

Mr. Dockery emphasized that Choudhry had initially backed away from the situation, considering the girl to be 'too young,' but later that day, he resumed communication, which he acknowledged was a mistake. The lawyer stated, “He should have stepped clear, he didn’t, and that was his downfall. It has brought shame on him, he’s had to make revelations to his wife.”

In sentencing, Judge Martin Steiger QC expressed concern over the sexualized nature of the messages exchanged. He noted that although there was no evidence of coercion or force, the fact that Choudhry attended the McDonald's intending to engage in sexual activity with a 13-year-old was deeply troubling. The judge stated, “The tone of these messages was increasingly sexualized, though there was nothing to hint at compulsion or coercion as such, it’s nevertheless clear that when the defendant attended at the McDonald’s he was expecting to meet a 13-year-old girl whom he was expecting to conduct a liaison with involving touching.”

Judge Steiger further remarked that if Choudhry had not been caught by police, he might have attempted to persuade the girl to engage in sexual activities, which could have led to actual harm. He clarified that no child was physically at risk during the incident but emphasized that the defendant’s intentions were clearly inappropriate. As a result, Choudhry was sentenced to 51 weeks in jail, suspended for two years, and placed under supervision. Additionally, he was ordered to participate in a sex offender treatment program, subject to a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, and required to register as a sex offender for seven years. This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies in Greater Manchester to protect minors from online predators and the importance of vigilance in the digital age.