June 2009

Care worker jailed for touching young girl

A care worker at a children’s home who touched and kissed the breasts of a young girl he was supposed to be looking after has been jailed for 12 months. 

Abdul-Rauf Abdul-Salam, 55, committed the offence while playing a game of Connect 4 with the 13 year old in a lounge at the Mid-Bedfordshire residential unit. 

He appeared for sentence at Luton Crown Court on Friday following his conviction back in April when a jury found him guilty of an offence of sexual activity with a child.

Nigerian born Mr Abdul-Salam of Bollingbroke Road, Luton who is married with three grown up children had denied the offence.

The offence happened on March 15 last year as the pair played a game of Connect 4 on a sofa in the lounge of the home. 

The girl told the court the defendant had kissed her breasts and licked them when they were on the sofa and tried to kiss her face. 

After the police had been called in the defendant’s DNA was subsequently found on her right breast. 

Guy Bowden defending said what happened that day had been unplanned.

He said as a result Abdul-Salam had lost his job and his reputation was damaged.

Passing sentence Judge Geoffrey Breen said “You were in a position of trust in relation to her and you abused that trust.”

The judge said the victim had suffered sexual abuse in the past and was a vulnerable child. 

He jailed him for 12 months and ordered his name go on the sex offenders register for the next ten-years. 

He was also told he was being disqualified from working with children for an indefinite period.