Birmingham man is jailed for sexual abuse against boys

A Birmingham man has been jailed after being found guilty of a catalogue of child sexual abuse offences against four young boys.

Fazal Sidiqkhil, aged 31 from Alum Rock, groomed the boys between 2013 and 2021, by giving them money and, once he had gained their trust, he sexually abused them. The boys, aged between 11 and 16, were assaulted and forced into silence with threats made against their families. Sidiqkhil had also filmed two of them and they were terrified the footage would appear online.

Finally in January last year, one of the boys, now still only 15, contacted West Midlands Police. Sidiqkhil was arrested two days later. A complex investigation began by the Public Protection Unit, and each boy had to recount their harrowing ordeals. On 24 January 2021, Sidiqkhil was charged with 31 offences including rape and sexual activity with a child. His trial at Birmingham Crown Court lasted five weeks and the jury found him unanimously guilty earlier this year.

What has West Midlands Police said?

Detective Sergeant Francesca Crossfield said: “I cannot underestimate the bravery and resilience of these young boys in coming forward and reliving what they went through. Sidiqkhil denied all the charges so they also had to go through the ordeal of a trial. I hope that his conviction and the sentence he has received today gives them some closure, and lets them move on with their lives.

“They can be proud that they have prevented other young boys from being lured into Sidiqkhil’s clutches, as there is no doubt that he would not have stopped.”

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