Man had sexual activity with underage Barnsley girl in back of van and 'threatened her to keep her quiet'

A man who had sexual activity with an underage South Yorkshire girl in the back of a van has been jailed by a Sheffield court.

Mohammed Qasim, aged 38, of Sable Crest, Bradford, appeared before Sheffield Crown Court last week for sentencing after admitting to engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl in the back of a van. Police said he threatened to kill the girl, who is from Barnsley and cannot be named for legal reasons, if she told anyone.

Get a bespoke headline round-up, as well as all of the latest breaking news updates,when you sign up to The Star’s free newsletter

Qasim, who told his victim he would buy her things if she kept quiet, was jailed for four years last Wednesday (April 17) following a lengthy investigation by South Yorkshire Police.

Det Cons Rosie O'Grady, who works in Barnsley's Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team, said:

"This sentence follows meticulous work from our officers who strived to bring a child sexual offender to justice.

"Exemplary forensic work helped to secure justice but ultimately, this conviction wouldn't have been secured had it not been for the brave testimony of Qasim's vulnerable victim.

"I want to commend the girl and her family for their courage in coming forward to tell us about what happened, and I hope the passing of this sentence.”