Paedophile teaching assistant from Bradford who groomed and sexually abused teenage girl jailed for 16 months
A paedophile teaching assistant from Bradford, who has admitted grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl he was supposed to be looking after, has been jailed for 16 months.
Aasim Qureshi, 37, of High Park Crescent, admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child at Bradford Crown Court.
He was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment on Friday, and will be eligible for release after eight months.
The victim was aged between 15 and 16 when she was abused at a care home in the Bradford district in 2021.
In a personal statement read out in court, she said: “Qureshi was supposed to help me learn but he abused me. I was in care and he took advantage of me.
“I feel like everything was my fault, I felt betrayed.
“I want him to know how much the events of the past few years have impacted me.
“He knew what he was doing, he was the adult in the situation.
“I want him to know how much him delaying the court proceedings has left me feeling in complete despair.
“I want to move on, but I am struggling.”
West Yorkshire Police commended the woman for her “bravery and courage” for coming forward.
Det Insp Majahid Ashruff of Bradford’s child vulnerability exploitation team, said: “This was a serious breach of trust by an individual who was in a position of responsibility towards a vulnerable child.
“Qureshi exploited his role to groom and sexually abuse a young person who should have been safe within an educational setting.
“I would like to commend the bravery and courage it took for her to come forward and report these crimes. It has been a long process for her.
“Her account was instrumental in bringing Qureshi to justice and I hope today’s sentence can bring her closure on the ordeal as she starts to rebuild her life.
“West Yorkshire Police remains committed to safeguarding children and pursuing those who seek to exploit them. We encourage anyone who has concerns about child sexual exploitation or child criminal exploitation to report them to police.
“The Child Vulnerability Exploitation Team investigates offences involving child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation. Dedicated officers work alongside partner agencies to safeguard children and bring offenders to justice.”