Rotherham Child Abuser Caught Harassing Victims Online from Prison
UK grooming gang member contacted victims on Facebook, sent threats to investigators
© press
A convicted child abuser, and member of a Rotherham "grooming gang," has been given extra jail time after he was caught harassing his victims online and sending threats to investigators from prison.
35-year-old Waseem Khaliq was convicted of child abduction and indecent assault on August 28 at Sheffield Crown Court.
Khaliq's conviction was part of a widespread investigation into pedophile grooming gangs in the South Yorkshire, UK town.
Despite being taken off the streets, however, Khaliq has now been found guilty of harassing one of his victims of Facebook and threatening two of the officers investigating his case.
During sentencing for his latest crimes in Sheffield Crown Court this week, Khaliq had his sentence extended by three years and nine months after being found guilty on Monday.
The court heard that Khaliq made a phone call from prison to the National Crime Agency (NCA) control center and made threats against two of the investigating officers.
© press
He said he knew where one of them lived, was close to finding out the address of the other, and hoped they died of cancer or AIDS.
He previously used the false name "Andros Simpson," claiming to be an investigative journalist looking into what was happening in Rotherham, to contact one of his victims.
He also used a Facebook account with that name to make a series of allegations about one of his victims, claiming she was lying and had only agreed to give evidence after the NCA offered her cash and a new house.
The Facebook account was used to contact a number of associates of the victim as well.
The NCA contacted Facebook and had the account closed down, but similar posts continued to be made on other Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Eventually, they stopped when Khaliq was remanded in custody in March 2019.
© press
The 35-year-old was today found guilty of three counts of witness intimidation at Sheffield Crown Court.
The issue of child abuse in Rotherham first came to light in 2010 when five Asian men were jailed for sexual offenses against under-age girls.
A 2014 inquiry found there were more than 1,400 victims of grooming and sex exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
NCA senior investigating officer Phillip Marshall said: "Through his vindictive campaign of social media trolling Khaliq only compounded the suffering his victims had already gone through.
"They showed extreme bravery in coming forward and continuing to give evidence despite this, and I once again pay tribute to them.
"Our investigation has been victim-focused throughout, and this conviction demonstrates that we will not tolerate attempts to intimidate victims or our officers who work with them."
