Abdurahrim Yalcin

Abdurahrim Yalcin, a 56-year-old former taxi driver from Ramsgate, Kent, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison following his conviction for the sexual assault of a teenage girl. The abuse, which spanned almost a year, began when the victim was just 16 years old. Yalcin targeted the vulnerable teenager, touching her both over and under her clothing on several occasions, escalating in severity each time.

The court heard that Yalcin sought to conceal his predatory behaviour by buying the girl clothes and offering her money in an attempt to buy her silence. The victim, recognising the escalating nature of the assaults and fearing they would not stop, bravely reported the incidents to the police in September 2023 after enduring 10 months of abuse. Kent Police arrested Yalcin on the same day, and he was subsequently charged with three counts of sexual assault.

Despite pleading not guilty, Yalcin was found guilty on all counts after a three-day trial at Canterbury Crown Court. During the sentencing on 30 October 2025, Judge Simon Taylor described the offences as 'an appalling violation of the sanctity of her body', noting that Yalcin committed the acts because he believed he could get away with them. The judge highlighted the gravity of the multiple assaults, rejecting defence arguments that Yalcin's family troubles provided significant mitigation.

• Defence counsel James Burke argued that Yalcin's actions were out of character, stemming from emotional strain after his eldest son, Serhat Yalcin, was jailed for nine years and four months in 2021 for a violent attack in Canterbury High Street.
• Burke described Yalcin as 'a man under severe emotional strain' and suggested the behaviour may have started 'as a bit of fun', emphasising that Yalcin had learned a 'salutary lesson'.
• However, Judge Taylor pointed out the repeated molestation and Yalcin's lack of remorse, as indicated in a pre-sentence report stating he took no responsibility for his offending.

In her victim impact statement, read out in court, the teenager expressed the profound fear and confusion she felt: 'I felt my age stopped me from speaking out sooner. I wasn't sure what was going on and how to put into words to tell someone what was happening. As it continued, I became very scared and it made it even harder for me to tell someone what was going on.' The court also noted that Yalcin's conviction led to the revocation of his taxi driver's licence.

Passing sentence, Judge Taylor stated: 'You sexually abused this young lady four times. It got worse and worse each time... It is very rare for me to impose short, immediate prison sentences, and rarer on a man with no previous convictions. But your offending was so grave I have no choice.' Yalcin, who required an interpreter in court, was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Detective Constable Daniel Dew of Kent Police commended the victim's bravery: 'Yalcin was an opportunistic criminal who saw the vulnerability in his victim and exploited it repeatedly for his own gratification. His actions were calculated, predatory, and disturbing. I want to praise the victim for the bravery she has shown throughout this process. Her testimony and contributions have been vital in securing this sentence and in bringing this man to justice.' The case was reported by KentOnline, with details emerging from the trial at Canterbury Crown Court.