Paedophile preying on 'girl' asked if she wanted 'cuddle' in sick messages

A "predatory" Leeds paedophile asked an undercover officer if she was wearing pyjamas in a series of bizarre messages.

Shafiqul Islam, 29, believed he was talking to a 12-year-old girl on social media app KIK at the time. Leeds Crown Court heard the profile was actually being run by an officer tasked with snaring sex offenders.

Prosecutor Vincent Blake-Barnard told the court Islam, of Hillcrest Avenue in Harehills, messaged the profile first on August 13 this year. He said: "The defendant had used the ID, 'DUK' which showed he had been active on there for 1,330 days. An image on that was that of a bare chest.

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"The defendant sent a message to the profile and went on to state that he was from England and they made him very much aware he was communicating with a child and he said he was 26 and asked if he was too old for her.

"He said, 'I wouldn't say old maybe for you, you're meant to make me feel good about my age LOL.' He went on to state he was driving an 18-year-old BMW and the conversation went on."

The court heard the officer logged back on on August 23 and had a number of messages from Islam and said she had been on holiday and had got back the day before. She once again logged on on August 28, and the conversation became more sexualised.

It was said that Islam asked the "girl" her "pyjama situation" and said he "wished he was having a cuddle." Mr Blake-Barnard said he used emojis, including the "sweating face." The prosecutor added that Islam went on to request a photograph of the girl.

He said: "He was identified, arrested and in interview replied no comment." The court heard Islam went on to admit attempting to communicate with a person under the age of 16. He had previously been subjected to a suspended sentence order for making and distributing pseudo images of a child, and at the time of this offence was subject to a suspended sentence for supplying cannabis.

Mitigating, Lily Wildman said: "He is under no illusion of the seriousness of this offending. It is clearly an offence the court deals with seriously. It has had an effect on him and his wider family due to the stigma attached to this sort of offending...He has the support of his family as far as they are able.

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"You will have read in the pre-sentence report that he suffers from mental health difficulties."

The court heard at the time of the offending, Islam was taking "illegal substances in an attempt to provide some sort of escapism."

His Honour Judge Ray Singh jailed him for 25 months and told him: "You asked if she was naked and asked if she had ever had a cuddle with a boy in bed before...You suggested you would meet the child and actually carry out these acts with a young child.

"This was grooming behaviour on your part and predatory behaviour on your part."

The judge said Islam would still be subject to the Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed when he was sentenced for his previous sexual offending, and notification requirements.

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