Sheffield paedophile caught on camera trying to persuade children to play strip poker

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 17 how Hashim Ali, aged 70, of Winn Gardens, Middlewood, Sheffield, sexually assaulted one of the two girls so they laid a trap with a hidden video camera in a room and the defendant was filmed asking them to play strip poker with him.

Ian Goldsack, prosecuting, said Ali had initially engaged in grooming behaviour with one of the girls telling her he loved her, hugging her, smacking her bottom and trying to kiss her before he molested her.

Mr Goldsack added: “Because of this background of behaviour the two girls had set up a scenario where they hid a camera.”

Ali was called under the ‘ruse’ that the girls needed to get rid of a spider and he suggested they play a game of ‘strip-off’ which he said was a card game where the loser had to take off clothes, according to Mr Goldsack.

The defendant, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child, and to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity from 2019. The complainants cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Francis Edusei, defending, said there had been no physical touching during the offences that were captured on camera.

The court also heard references submitted to the court described Ali as ‘friendly’, a ‘true gentleman’ and ‘compassionate and kind’.

Mr Edusei added Ali’s wife has been very ill and the defendant cares for her and has his own health difficulties.

The youngster who had been sexually assaulted stated her mental well-being has been affected but she is determined not to let the offences determine her life.

Judge Peter Kelson KC told Ali: “These two children were simply quite remarkable because, knowing something was amiss, they decided to set a camera running so they could report what you were getting up to.”

He added: “They asked you what you would like to play and they said what game do want to play and you said it’s a strip-off. And you went on to explain it’s a game of strip poker and you explained if you lose you would strip and if they lost they would strip and this went on for quite some time which is an aggravating factor.

“And when one of the children did not want to play and referred to it as disgusting you seemed to manipulate her by calling her mardy and continued to play a game with the other child and it is regrettably, classic, paedophile behaviour.”

Judge Kelson also told Ali: “Your offending does require an immediate prison sentence. Your conduct was predatorial. It was persistent. It was the conduct of an established paedophile.”

He sentenced Ali to one year of custody and following the defendant being made subject to the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years he was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.