June 2022

Man captured at Leeds train station attempting to meet 14-year-old girl for sex

A man sent intimate pictures of himself to a “14-year-old girl” and then took sex aid tablets with him to meet her at Leeds train station.

Najebullah Muemain, 33, formerly of Afghanistan but now living in Leeds had been talking to who he thought was a teenage girl named Dani on Facebook for two months, and sent her intimate pictures of himself and arranged to meet up with her for sex.

Unbeknown to Muemain, Dani was actually a decoy Facebook profile ran by a member of Stop UK – an online hunting group designed to snare paedophiles.

Leeds Crown Court heard on Tuesday Muemain, of Luxor View in Leeds, had requested to be the profile’s friend on Facebook in July last year. Three messages in, he was told the girl was just 14.

Prosecutor Ian Cook told the court: “That was repeated several times. The defendant replied saying he was 27 and provided a false name.

There followed an exchange of messages between the defendant and the decoy which became sexual in nature.

The decoy indicated to the defendant that her mother did not know she had Facebook and the defendant told her to delete the messages exchanged when they had finished chatting.

“The messages continued with the defendant asking the decoy to send pictures of herself. The defendant told her she was beautiful and he wanted to be her boyfriend.”

Muemain sent 10 intimate pictures of himself and ordered that the girl touch herself intimately before plans were made to meet.

Mr Cook said: “A meeting was arranged for August 22, 2021 and it was arranged they were meeting at Leeds train station. In messages leading up to the meeting he arranged for them to stay together overnight and told her that they would engage in sexual intercourse.”

On the day of the arrangement, Muemain was met by members of Stop UK, which attracted the attention of the British Transport Police. He was arrested and officers found he had in his possession a sex aid in the form of a blue tablet.

During his interview, he said he “just wanted to chat and build friends” and thought he was “being trapped” when the profile told him it was 14. Muemain denied having any intention to engage in sexual intercourse when the pair met, and denied that the sex aid would be for use with the decoy.

He pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming at a plea, trial and preparation hearing.

Judge Christopher Batty jailed Muemain for four years and made him the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which featured a factor prohibiting Muemain from contacting children on social media, except for his own family. The order was put in place until another order is made.