Paedophile Caught By Undercover Officers

A Cambridge paedophile who had been using the internet to lure young girls has been caught out after the ‘children’ turned out to be undercover police officers.

Awlad Miah, 41, of Darwin Drive, believed he had been sending sexual messages to three girls – one aged 12 and two aged 13 – on chat app Kik between August and October 2021 and in September 2018.

In one message Miah asked one girl what type of boys she liked, even pointing out she might be too young for boyfriends as she was only 12-years-old.

He then went on to ask if she had ever kissed a boy and what her ideal first date would be, with him suggesting a romantic dinner before going back to a hotel room. He then sent an indecent image of himself instructing her not to tell anyone.

In message to another girl, Miah sent another explicit picture of himself and apologised when she told him she was 13. But he continued to talk about sexual acts and asked if she was at school and again, said they could meet in a hotel room.

And he also sent a message to another 13-year-old girl, where he sent an indecent image of himself and asked her sexual questions about her body.

Miah was arrested on 26 November 2021 and his mobile phone was seized and internet history was investigated.

After admitting to three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, Miah was given a 14-month prison term suspended for two years, when he appeared at Cambridge Crown Court.

He was also made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Constable Caroline Murphy said: “Awlad Miah is a risk to children and his use of the internet to groom and meet young girls under 16 was appalling.

“I would urge parents and carers to talk to their children about the dangers of phones, social media and the importance of online safety.

“Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we will do all we can to bring those who use the internet in such a way to justice.”