A former maths teacher who posed as a teenage boy online to groom young girls before raping some of his victims has been jailed for a further 10 years. Syed Shahreear Ahmed, 38, was handed an additional sentence after being convicted of 37 further sexual offences against 12 teenage girls.
The former secondary school teacher, who is already serving a 20-year prison sentence, used fake identities on social media to target children and manipulate them into sexual activity. He also arranged to meet some of his victims in person, travelling to meet them in his car before carrying out serious sexual assaults, including rape.
Sentencing and convictions
Ahmed was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on November 5 to 13 years, comprising 10 years in custody followed by an extended licence period of three years. His latest convictions include seven counts of rape, six sexual assaults, six counts of sexual communications with a child and five counts of making indecent images of children.
He was also convicted of meeting children following sexual grooming, taking indecent images, blackmail and causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity. All 12 victims were under 18, with some as young as 14.
Background and investigation
Ahmed, from Ilford, east London, was working as a maths teacher at a secondary school in Essex until he resigned following his arrest in May 2023. He was originally jailed for 20 years in September 2025 after being convicted of serious sexual offences against girls.
However, the Metropolitan Police investigation resumed after further allegations emerged following his sentencing. Detectives examining his mobile phones uncovered evidence of additional victims with whom he had been communicating sexually online. Some had been encouraged to carry out sexual acts at his request.
Investigators also established that Ahmed had made arrangements to meet several of the girls, leading to further serious offences.
Prosecutor and police comments
Claire Brinton, a specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service's Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said Ahmed had deliberately pretended to be a teenage boy to gain the trust of his victims.
She said: "Syed 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.
"Some of his sexual abuse took place online, but he also arranged to meet some of his victims so that he could commit further sexual offences, including rape.
"All of his victims were under 18 years of age, some as young as 14."
Ms Brinton said his behaviour was particularly shocking because he had been trained to safeguard children through his work as a teacher.
She added: "We know that sexual abuse can have a devastating impact. I hope that the sentence imposed brings some comfort to Ahmed's victims."
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kelleher, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said Ahmed had used fake online identities to manipulate and exploit young people. He said the investigation demonstrated the importance of continuing to pursue allegations even after an offender had been convicted.
He added: "The bravery of the victims has been central to bringing Ahmed to justice and helping protect other children from harm."
