Sharmake Abdulahi Maxamed

A 29-year-old Swedish national and doctor employed at a hospital in Warwickshire has been convicted for downloading 'horrific' child abuse images depicting children as young as five years old. Sharmake Abdulahi Maxamed pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court to three counts of making indecent images of children and possession of cocaine, leading to a suspended prison sentence.

The case came to light in July 2020 when the National Crime Agency (NCA) was alerted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). An online account linked to Maxamed had received a folder containing several hundred files from an Australian national who had been arrested for sharing indecent images. The file names indicated abuse of children aged between five and 15. NCA officers arrested Maxamed at his home in Leicester in October 2021, seizing his phone where they found over 50 indecent images and videos, with 28 classified as category A – the most severe category. Evidence from the device showed Maxamed had actively searched for the material online and exchanged messages with another user, including one where he stated he was in his car about to 'have a line' before returning to work, followed by a photo of two lines of white powder, confirming his possession of cocaine.

Maxamed, who did not work directly with children, was a newly employed doctor still under chaperoning at the time of his arrest. His contract with the unnamed hospital was subsequently terminated. The sentencing occurred on 1 March 2024 at Leicester Crown Court, where Judge Timothy Spencer imposed a 10-month imprisonment sentence, suspended for two years.

Senior Investigating Officer Danielle Pownall of the NCA commented: 'Maxamed sought out images showing the horrific abuse of children. Thanks to work by dedicated officers at the NCA, as well as support from our colleagues in Australia, we were able to bring him to justice. The NCA is committed to protecting children and ensuring that individuals who collect this material, and create a demand for abuse content, are held to account.' This international collaboration underscores the global efforts to combat child sexual exploitation online.