A 48-year-old man has been imprisoned after fleeing West Yorkshire for the Middle East following the sexual abuse of a vulnerable teenage boy more than ten years prior.
Zana Adil Mohammed received his sentence at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday, April 9, having admitted to multiple sexual offences occurring in 2011.
The court was told that Mohammed was handed a 62-month term for five charges of sexual activity with a child, in addition to four charges of creating indecent images or pseudo-photographs of children.
The crimes were committed in Kirklees and involved a boy in his early teens. The victim eventually contacted police to report the abuse.
As the police inquiry was beginning, Mohammed, originally from Huddersfield, left the United Kingdom. Investigators later learned he had relocated to Iraq, where he spent several years.
Through collaboration with partner organisations, police discovered in October 2025 that Mohammed intended to return to the UK. He was taken into custody upon landing at Birmingham International Airport on October 16.
After his arrest, Mohammed remained in custody, faced the charges, and appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on October 18 before being held in prison pending his sentencing at Leeds Crown Court.
Authorities stated the case demonstrates how crucial it is for victims to report incidents, no matter how much time has elapsed since the offences took place.