A man has been found guilty of sex offences against young girls he contacted on social media.
Abraham Ibrahim, 21 (07.11.1997) of Woodmill Road, Clapton E5, was found guilty of the following offences after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court which concludes at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 29 July:
– Count 1 – causing a child to engage in sexual activity (contrary to section 10(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 1
– Count 5 – sexual communication with a child (Section 15A(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
– Count 6 – meeting a child following sexual grooming (Section 15(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
– Count 10 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
– Count 12 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
– Count 13 – Possession of an indecent image of a child (Section 1(1)(c) of the Protection of Children Act 1978)
– Count 14 – Possession of an indecent image of a child (Section 1(1)(c) of the Protection of Children Act 1978)
– Count 15 – Possession of an indecent image of a child (Section 1(1)(c) of the Protection of Children Act 1978)
– Count 16 – Attempting to sexually communicate with a child (Section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act)
His brother Yousef Ibrahim, 29 (01.01.90), of Woodmill Road, Clapton E5 was found guilty of one count of perverting the course of justice.
They will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 27 September.
Abraham Ibrahim contacted his victims through social media messaging apps. After exchanging messages, Ibrahim arranged to meet one of the victims outside of London in June 2018. He then went on to commit a number of serious sexual offences against her.
At around the same time, Ibrahim was also communicating with another girl aged 14, who lived in London. He met her several times and engaged in sexual activity.
Officers from Central Specialist Crime led the investigation, launched after the parents of one girl called police after finding explicit images on her phone. On 14 September 2018, officers executed a search warrant at Ibrahim’s home address and arrested him on suspicion of child abuse offences. He was bailed and further arrested at a later date when more offences came to light.
He was charged on 7 December 2018, and first appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court that day.
Yousef Ibrahim was found guilty of perverting the course of justice; this charge related to his contacting a friend of one of the victims in January 2019, while his brother was on remand, and asking her to change her story.
He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and witness intimidation on 14 February 2019.
Detective Inspector Mark Rogers, who led the investigation, said: “Abraham Ibrahim was a lone, opportunist offender who targeted his young victims on social media platforms knowing they were vulnerable, pursuing them for his own sexual gratification.
“Yousef Abraham has tried to influence the course of the investigation. His actions were utterly reckless, misguided, and resulted in his conviction.
“I like would to praise the children and their families who have shown great courage in supporting the investigation and giving evidence in a difficult and traumatic court case.”
DI Rogers added: “Thankfully, these type of crimes are rare. However, it is important that parents, guardians and everyone who works with young people takes an interest in what children are doing on the internet and educate them about the risks associated with using social media.
“The internet is a fantastic resource enabling young people to socialise and learn. Unfortunately, it can also be used by predatory offenders to target children. We will robustly investigate any child sex offences committed online, and I would urge any young person who have experienced unsolicited contact to report it to police.”
For more information about online safety, visit https://safe.met.police.uk/internet_safety/get_the_facts.html
+ Abraham Ibrahim was found not guilty of the following offences:
– Count 2 – meeting a child following sexual grooming (15(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – girl 3
– Count 3 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – girl 3
– Count 4 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – girl 3
– Count 7 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
– Count 8 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
– Count 9 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
– Count 11 – sexual activity with a child (Section 9(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – Victim 2
+ Yousef Ibrahim was found not guilty of the following offences:
– Count 17 – Perverting the course of justice
– Count 19 – Perverting the course of justice (Yousef and Abraham Ibrahim)
