A former maths teacher already jailed for child sex offences has been handed another 10 years after being caught using fake online personas to groom girls as young as 13.
Syed Shahreear Ahmed, 37, posed as a teenage boy to target victims on social media, grooming some online and arranging to meet others in person before raping or sexually abusing them. He has now been convicted of 56 child sexual abuse offences relating to 18 victims, including 10 counts of rape.
Second trial and sentencing
Ahmed was jailed for 25 years on Thursday, with an extended licence period of eight years, following a second trial at Southwark Crown Court. The previous trial heard that one 14-year-old girl jumped from Ahmed's moving car after becoming terrified by his behaviour.
Further investigations by the Met Police uncovered 12 additional victims and offences hidden within hundreds of gigabytes of digital evidence seized from Ahmed's mobile phones. Officers believe there may be more victims and have urged anyone who had contact with Ahmed to come forward.
Offending history
Ahmed, of Mossford Lane, Barkingside, targeted victims through popular social media apps using altered photographs of himself to groom girls aged between 13 and 16. He was convicted of 37 child sexual abuse offences, including rape, sexual assault, sexual communication with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming, child sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of children.
These convictions came after an earlier trial in 2025, where he was found guilty of 14 child sexual abuse offences, alongside previous guilty pleas for offences relating to indecent images of children.
Police and prosecution response
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kelleher, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, described Ahmed as a "manipulative and prolific sexual predator" who spent years creating fake online personas to gain the trust of children before exploiting them. He said the case shows that police work does not stop after a conviction.
Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Ahmed pretended to be a teenage boy to target his young victims via social media platforms, where he groomed and exploited them for his sexual gratification. She noted that all of his victims were under 18, some as young as 14, and that his behaviour was "all the more shocking because he was a teacher who had been trained in safeguarding children."
Appeal for more victims
Detectives continue to appeal for anyone who may have had contact with Ahmed, or who believes they may have been affected by his offending, to contact police. Reports can be made online or via 101. In an emergency, always call 999.
Anyone affected by this case can also seek support through Rape Crisis England & Wales' 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222.
