Rehan Ali, 24, of Bradford, has been jailed for six years for a series of child sex offences against girls aged just seven and eight. He used Snapchat to befriend the young victims between October and November 2024, both of whom attended the same primary school.
Decoy operation
Ali also contacted a child he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on Facebook and WhatsApp, but the account was actually an undercover police officer using a decoy profile. West Yorkshire Police said Ali's five offences took place between October and November 2024, including inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexually explicit communications with children.
PC William Metcalf, of Bradford's Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: "Ali used social media to target and exploit children." He added that Ali had deliberately contacted underage girls "for his own sexual gratification".
Court sentencing
Appearing before Bradford Crown Court, Ali admitted two counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He also admitted making an indecent photograph of a child, attempting to incite a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
PC Metcalf said: "As a police force, we remain committed to safeguarding children and would encourage parents and young people to report any concerns about suspicious online content to us."
In addition to the six-year jail sentence, Ali was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register.
