A migrant has been jailed after attempting to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old girl, having been arrested with condoms in his pocket at Manchester Piccadilly station.
Kashif Mahmood, 37, was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison at Minshull Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to multiple child sex offences.
The court heard how Mahmood, of Royds Street, Rochdale, had engaged in sexual communications with what turned out to be a decoy account on social media, lying about his age and arranging to meet who he thought was a teenage girl.
Mahmood initially claimed to be 25 years old when communicating with the account via Snapchat. He began by requesting friendship with who he believed was a schoolgirl, before the conversations took a more sinister turn.
The court was told he expressed desires to "kiss and cuddle" with the supposed teenager, before asking if she "wanted to do other stuff".
Mahmood, who moved to the UK in 2010, then arranged to meet at Manchester Piccadilly station, going as far as booking a train ticket for what he thought was a 13-year-old girl to travel to meet him.
When police located Mahmood in his locked car at the station, he was "desperately trying to remove content from his mobile phone", forcing officers to smash the windows to arrest him.
Detective Constable Adam Cronshaw from NWROCU said they "were forced to smash the window and remove him from the vehicle to seize his phone before he could delete any evidence of his actions."
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In mitigation, Raj Chopra said that Mahmood had "fallen into depression" before the incident and was taking medication, meaning that his "thinking was diminished."
Mahmood had described the incident as a "silly mistake" and that he claimed he was dyslexic, adding that family had encouraged him to use social media to improve his social life.
Judge Jason MacAdam dismissed Mahmood's claims that his actions were a "silly mistake".
He said: "In June, using Snapchat, you communicated with a person that made it clear she was 13 years of age. You groomed her, making reference to the two of you being intimate and arranged to meet at Piccadilly.
"You claimed you're dyslexic and that a photo made her look older. If all that is the case, then why would you tell her not to tell her mother who she was meeting?
"When you were arrested you were found to have two condoms in your pocket. The evidence against you is overwhelming from the communications you sent.
"I concur that you don't take responsibility for your offending. Because you continue to minimise your offending, I cannot accept your claim of being remorseful."
Along with his prison sentence, Mahmood was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Detective Constable Adam Cronshaw warned: "Offenders like Mahmood believe they can hide behind a computer or phone screen and avoid conviction, but this is clearly not the case.
"We collaborate with law enforcement across the country to safeguard children from danger, whether it occurs in person or online.
"I hope this conviction will act as a reminder that there are no borders when it comes to sexual abuse, it can happen anywhere and the impact is devastating."
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Kashif Mahmood, 37, was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison at Minshull Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to multiple child sex offences.
The court heard how Mahmood, of Royds Street, Rochdale, had engaged in sexual communications with what turned out to be a decoy account on social media, lying about his age and arranging to meet who he thought was a teenage girl.
Mahmood initially claimed to be 25 years old when communicating with the account via Snapchat. He began by requesting friendship with who he believed was a schoolgirl, before the conversations took a more sinister turn.
The court was told he expressed desires to "kiss and cuddle" with the supposed teenager, before asking if she "wanted to do other stuff".
Mahmood, who moved to the UK in 2010, then arranged to meet at Manchester Piccadilly station, going as far as booking a train ticket for what he thought was a 13-year-old girl to travel to meet him.
When police located Mahmood in his locked car at the station, he was "desperately trying to remove content from his mobile phone", forcing officers to smash the windows to arrest him.
Detective Constable Adam Cronshaw from NWROCU said they "were forced to smash the window and remove him from the vehicle to seize his phone before he could delete any evidence of his actions."
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In mitigation, Raj Chopra said that Mahmood had "fallen into depression" before the incident and was taking medication, meaning that his "thinking was diminished."
Mahmood had described the incident as a "silly mistake" and that he claimed he was dyslexic, adding that family had encouraged him to use social media to improve his social life.
Judge Jason MacAdam dismissed Mahmood's claims that his actions were a "silly mistake".
He said: "In June, using Snapchat, you communicated with a person that made it clear she was 13 years of age. You groomed her, making reference to the two of you being intimate and arranged to meet at Piccadilly.
"You claimed you're dyslexic and that a photo made her look older. If all that is the case, then why would you tell her not to tell her mother who she was meeting?
"When you were arrested you were found to have two condoms in your pocket. The evidence against you is overwhelming from the communications you sent.
"I concur that you don't take responsibility for your offending. Because you continue to minimise your offending, I cannot accept your claim of being remorseful."
Along with his prison sentence, Mahmood was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Detective Constable Adam Cronshaw warned: "Offenders like Mahmood believe they can hide behind a computer or phone screen and avoid conviction, but this is clearly not the case.
"We collaborate with law enforcement across the country to safeguard children from danger, whether it occurs in person or online.
"I hope this conviction will act as a reminder that there are no borders when it comes to sexual abuse, it can happen anywhere and the impact is devastating."
Find Out More...