A 26-year-old man has been jailed for child sex offences committed in Birkenhead and Widnes three years ago. Mohammed Ajmal, of Mossley Hill Drive in Sefton Park, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court earlier this month.
The court heard that Ajmal contacted the victim, who was 14 years old at the time, through the social media platform Snapchat. Ajmal, then aged 22, arranged to pick the victim up from Wirral and drive her to a flat in Widnes, where a sexual assault took place. A further sexual assault occurred in Birkenhead later that evening.
Conviction and Sentence
Following a three-day trial, Ajmal was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 and engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.
On Thursday, November 5, Ajmal was sentenced to five years in prison. He has also been placed on the Sexual Offenders Register indefinitely and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years after his release. Ajmal is a British national born in Manchester.
Police Response
Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Lamb said: “I hope this sentence provides some comfort to the victim and that they did the right thing to report Ajmal’s crime to us.”
Lamb added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm, and we take all such reports extremely seriously. The impact on them can be significant and long-lasting.”
He urged anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or knows of a child being abused to report it to police, noting that specially trained officers would treat them with sensitivity and compassion.
Support Available
Support is available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service, delivered jointly by two registered charities.
In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside. In St Helens and Knowsley, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside offers assistance. The NSPCC and Childline also provide help for children and young people affected by abuse.
