Sat. Nov 30th, 2024

A man has been found guilty of raping a girl under 13 in east London more than a decade ago.

Jalal Hossain, 40, who also used the alias Abdul Sottar, was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.

He was found guilty of two counts of rape.

The court heard how Hossain knew the girl and groomed her over the course of several visits to various addresses in Tower Hamlets.

In 2012 Hossain raped and sexually assaulted his victim on two occasions.

The girl disclosed the abuse to a family member four years later and they made a report to police.

Officers were confronted with the challenge of collecting witness statements years after the crimes had been committed.

A manhunt was launched but Hossain could not be located as he attempted to evade law enforcement by using aliases.

The breakthrough came when officers were able to identify a phone number that he was using.

Hossain was arrested on 23 March in Kensington but refused to answer questions about the allegation during his interview. He also denied his real identity and knowing the victim.

The victim and another witness identified him after he was arrested. He was charged in police custody with two counts of oral rape against a child under the age of 13.

Detective Constable Emma Price of the Metropolitan Police’s Central Specialist Crime team, said: “Hossain exploited and took advantage of a vulnerable child and abused the position of trust he had been given. She showed commendable bravery in providing evidence to police and at the trial. I hope that this conviction will bring her a small measure of comfort and a sense that justice has been done.

“We will continue to support her and I hope her actions will encourage any other survivors of sexual abuse to come forward. We are committed to fighting violence against women and girls and we want to help you get the support you so rightly deserve.”

Hossain will be sentenced on 7 December at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape or you have information about an offender, contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/man-convicted-of-rape-of-girl-under-13-jalal-hossain-b1112320.html