A man from Walsall has been convicted of sexually assaulting a vulnerable 16-year-old runaway after picking her up in Birmingham, despite claiming to police that she was 'picked up by bredrin'.
Assault in the back of a BMW
Mohammed Nadim, aged 45 and from Wednesbury Road in Walsall, was found guilty of sexual assault following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. The court heard how Nadim, known as 'Dimma', and his friend Arqash Zaffar, nicknamed 'Mikey', picked up the teenage girl on Alum Rock Road on July 20, 2019.
The victim, who told the men she was 19, asked to be taken into Birmingham city centre. Instead, the BMW was driven to a dead end. Prosecutor Tim Clark KC stated that both men repeatedly asked to kiss her and that Nadim touched her chest. Both men also exposed themselves to the girl in the back of the car.
Denial and arrest
The car was then driven to a car park, where Zaffar got out to speak to friends in another vehicle. During this time, Nadim remained in the back seat with the victim, touching her thigh. Nadim was not accused of involvement in the subsequent, more serious attacks on the girl by other men.
He was arrested over a year later, on October 8, 2020, after attending Oldbury police station. Upon his arrest, he was recorded telling officers: "You can search my car, you can search my yard, you ain't going to find my phone if that's what you are after. I ain't been to no hotels, the girl was picked up by bredrin and took home." He gave a 'no comment' interview and later disputed the allegations in court, claiming the girl said she was 20.
Broader exploitation and sentencing
The trial revealed a wider pattern of exploitation. Three other men were convicted of offences against the same girl, who was 'shared around' in a hotel room.
- Arqash Zaffar, 41, from Persehouse Street, Walsall, was found guilty of five counts of rape, four of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, and one charge of arranging travel for exploitation.
- Shahban Arif, 42, of Holden Crescent, Walsall, was found guilty of a single exploitation offence.
- Shiraz Nassar, 40, from Fir Road, Denton, Manchester, was convicted of one charge of rape.
Sentencing for all four men has been adjourned until March 19, 2025.
