A Syrian migrant has been handed a 12-year prison sentence for raping a 12-year-old girl in Birmingham.
Asylum seeker Mohammed Wahid Mohammed, 22 was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of three rape charges.
He had previously admitted two counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13.
The court heard how Mohammed lured the vulnerable child to a room above a shop in Handsworth – where he was working illegally.
Judge Roderick Henderson deemed Mohammed a “dangerous” offender and imposed an additional five-year extended licence period following his prison term.
The victim had fled her home on September 24 last year, and travelled by train to Birmingham city centre, arriving around 8.30pm with only a few pounds.
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The court heard how Mohammed lured the vulnerable child to a room above a shop in Handsworth
A homeless woman encountered the child and walked her to Villa Supermarket on Villa Road after the girl bought her tea.
Mohammed immediately approached the young girl outside the shop.
“You look really young… You look really cold. Do you want to come into the shop? It’s warm in there, I’ll get you something to eat and drink,” he told her.
He instructed the child to take vapes, crisps and fizzy drinks from the shop shelves before leading her upstairs to a bedroom where he had been staying.
The court heard that Mohammed attempted to kiss the girl in the bedroom, prompting her to say: “Woah, you know I’m only 12.”
Despite this, he proceeded to sexually assault her for approximately an hour.
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A homeless woman encountered the child and walked her to Villa Supermarket (pictured) after the girl bought her tea
Following the attack, they went to a nearby takeaway where a family became concerned about the situation. One family member struck Mohammed after recognising something was wrong.
The family discovered through a Facebook alert that the child was a missing person and arranged for her safe return home.
Mohammed was subsequently arrested and initially claimed the girl had consented, before being informed that a 12-year-old cannot legally give consent.
During the trial, prosecutor Andrew Wallace explained that Mohammed had warned the girl “it wasn’t safe on the streets” while “ironically” planning to exploit her vulnerability.
Mohammed was jailed for 12 years at Birmingham Crown Court
He said the asylum seeker “coaxed her into the shop under the pretence of being concerned. Really he only had sex in mind.”
Judge Henderson described the crime as “a sustained event, albeit on one day” involving “some grooming although it was limited in time.”
“But you exploited her because she was plainly young and effectively away from home,” he added.
Defence barrister Nicholas Devine said Mohammed had experienced a “difficult life” but had no previous criminal convictions.
He confirmed that Mohammed’s girlfriend had chosen to remain in a relationship with him despite the conviction.
The court did not determine whether Mohammed would face deportation, with the judge saying this would be passed on to immigration authorities at a future date.