A 70-year-old migrant has been spared jail after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl on her way home from school in Slough, Berkshire. Chaudhry Zaman forcibly held the girl's hand and kissed her, telling jurors he was encouraging her to cover her head.
The victim said her father now has to pick her up from school and she feels anxious during the school run. In a victim impact statement, she said she felt like throwing up and lost friends in her community after coming forward.
Judge Amjad Nawaz at Reading Crown Court noted that CCTV showed Zaman holding the girl's hand forcibly and kissing her on the lips. Zaman claimed he was speaking to her about covering her head.
Prosecutor Ian Wright said Zaman asked the girl to be friends, asked if she loved him, and told her to keep it a secret. Zaman, who had no previous convictions, was lawfully in the UK.
Judge Nawaz sentenced Zaman to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 80 hours of unpaid work, a five-year restraining order, and 10 years on the sex offenders' register. The judge said the victim's risk could be managed in the community, partly due to Zaman's age.
