Hiwr Ali Bayeze

A Bradford man, Hiwr Ali Bayeze, was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court for a series of child sex offences after engaging in extensive grooming and threatening behaviour towards what he believed was a 14-year-old girl online.

The case came to light when Bayeze, aged 37 and residing on Little Horton Lane in Bradford, contacted a social media account set up by a proactive group dedicated to identifying individuals seeking sexual gratification from children. The account, which remained dormant until approached, was contacted by Bayeze on 9 February 2023. Over the following two weeks, until 22 February 2023, their interactions produced more than 1,000 pages of messaging, during which the decoy repeatedly confirmed her age as 14.

Despite knowing the girl's stated age, Bayeze engaged in highly inappropriate conduct. He inquired if she was a virgin, expressed fantasies of having sex with her, and voiced concerns about being caught by the police. He persisted in requesting sexual activity, arranged a meeting, and demanded photographs of her, referring to her as 'sexy' and professing love. When the decoy refused to send indecent images, Bayeze issued a severe threat, stating, 'I’ll kill you if you say no.'

• Bayeze pleaded guilty to four offences: attempted sexual communication with a child, attempt to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempt to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, and attempt to meet a child following grooming.
• The court heard that Bayeze had come to the UK from Iraq after his father's death and suffered from chronic health issues requiring daily pain medication, which was raised in mitigation.

Mr Recorder Simon Jackson KC, presiding over the case, imposed a 42-month custodial sentence on Bayeze, who showed no remorse and was deemed to present 'a significant risk of harm in the future to children'. The judge remarked, 'You were extremely manipulative. You were threatening... You persisted in your demands for her to send sexual images of herself.' Bayeze was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life. The investigation was conducted by West Yorkshire Police, who released an image of Bayeze in connection with the case.