Grooming: Mohammed Sodais jailed for sexual activity with a child

Mohammed Sodais

Mohammed Sodais (18/04/1997), of Howarth Cross Street, Rochdale has been jailed after being found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child, five counts of attempting to meet a child under the age of 16 and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Sodais was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court to eight and a half years in a young offenders institute, a twelve year sexual harm prevention order and to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

In April 2015, Sodais arranged to meet with a 14-year-old girl that he knew through a friend. The pair met in Rochdale before going to a field where he sexually assaulted her.

In July of the same year, he met a different 14-year-old girl at a bus station in Middleton when she was with some friends before he began messaging her online.

During their online exchanges, Sodais arranged to meet up with her again at Rochdale bus station before going for a walk in the nearby area, where he later sexually assaulted her.

He was arrested for sexual assault and during the investigation the mobile phone belonging to Sodais was seized and revealed that he had been grooming three girls, all aged between 13 and 14 online.

Detective Constable Ben Harris of the Rochdale Sunrise team said: “Mohammed Sodais is a serial groomer who contacted numerous girls in attempts to persuade them to meet up with him to satisfy his own sickening urges.

“As well as the online abuse he subjected the girls to, he took advantage and physically abused two of them who had trusted him enough to meet up.

“Everything we do in the multi-agency Sunrise team is driven by the needs of victims and we have been providing each of them with support from specially trained officers and social workers.

“I would like to pay tribute to all of the children and their families for the assistance they have given us with this investigation and the courage that they have shown in coming forward and attending court for what was a long and difficult trial. I hope the knowledge that they have helped bring Sodais to justice will bring them some comfort.

“This case has shown the dangers teenagers face online from predators who will target, contact and groom them. I would urge parents and guardians to be aware of your children’s social media activity and who they are in contact with online or via their mobile phone.”