An asylum seeker identified as Abdul Khan has been sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for raping a 13-year-old girl. Khan attacked the girl in a nature reserve in Clifton, Nottingham, on May 14 of the previous year.
Khan, who arrived in the UK in 2015 by hiding in the back of a lorry, was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child, meeting a child following grooming, and perverting the course of justice. He faces automatic deportation to Afghanistan after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
During a four-day trial, the court heard that Khan, believed to be 28 years old, arranged to meet the victim after falsely claiming to be a 14-year-old boy on Snapchat. Upon meeting in person, he attempted to appease the girl by claiming to be 16, despite her realizing he was not a minor. Jurors found that following consensual activity, Khan raped the girl twice.
The victim reported the incident to her father, who then contacted the police. Addressing Khan, Judge Mark Watson stated, "You deliberately concealed your true identity. She thought she was communicating with a child of her own age. It was a lie you have persisted with throughout these proceedings."