Imam sexually assaulted two girls during Quran lessons in Cheltenham
Summary
A man who worked as a volunteer imam at a mosque in Cheltenham has been jailed for six years for sexually assaulting two girls aged between five and seven. Shah Masukur Rashid, 45, was convicted on Thursday (June 4) at Gloucester Crown Court of two counts of sexual assault against one girl and four counts against a second child.
Details
The offences took place between October 2018 and January 2019 when Rashid was 37-years-old. Rashid’s crimes came to light when his young victims were overheard talking to each other and referring to him as “creepy”. When asked why they’d used that word, they told how he had touched them, both over and under their clothing, during their lessons on the Quran.
Elizabeth Rushton of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Rashid took advantage of the trust placed in him by his community. “He offered his services as a religious tutor, in the knowledge that it would grant him unsupervised access to children. He then used that access to sexually assault young girls in their homes.
“I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice and to protect women and girls.”
Report source: Gloucestershire Live