Afghan Asylum Seeker Sentenced for Stalking and Possessing Child Abuse Images
A lonely Afghan asylum seeker who became obsessed with a frightened Midlands schoolgirl has been jailed for stalking her and possessing indecent images of small children on his mobile phone. Sabjan Burkazi, aged 30, performed a sex act in front of the terrified youngster and repeatedly approached her in public places.
Persistent Stalking and Harassment
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how Burkazi began speaking to the victim, telling her she was "sexy" and "pretty," which caused her to change her route to school to avoid him. Prosecutor James Hudson detailed how Burkazi tried to initiate contact with the girl on multiple occasions.
"He asked her to come to his house, saying he would be a good boy," Mr Hudson told the court. "He offered her money and asked for her name and phone number. She gave him a fake number to make him go away."
The prosecutor continued: "His attention at the park made her stop going there to meet her friends. He approached her in the park, smirked at her, took hold of her hand and touched her on her shoulder."
Alarming Physical Encounters
The court heard disturbing details about Burkazi's behavior during these encounters. "She saw he had his hand in the top of his trousers. On at least one occasion she could see his hands moving inside his trousers," Mr Hudson stated.
In a particularly frightening incident last summer around 8pm, Burkazi approached the victim as she walked through a Stoke-on-Trent alleyway. "The victim felt her arm being grabbed from behind. It was the defendant pulling at her arm," the prosecutor explained. "He told her to come to his house and he would be a good boy."
The situation escalated when the victim's friend intervened. "Her friend started to kick and grab at the defendant to prevent him taking the victim. There was a struggle between them," Mr Hudson told the court.
Discovery of Indecent Images
Following these incidents, Staffordshire Police went to Burkazi's home in Tunstall, Staffordshire, where they seized his phone and tablet. Forensic examination revealed 64 indecent images of children on the devices.
Burkazi eventually pleaded guilty to:
- Stalking causing serious alarm or distress
- Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
- Three charges of making indecent images of children
Defense Arguments and Mitigation
In mitigation, defense barrister Rashad Mohammed explained Burkazi's background. "He was born in Afghanistan and had worked in the military, supporting Western governments," Mr Mohammed said. "However his life became endangered when the war ended and the Taliban took over. He found himself between a rock and a hard place."
The court heard that by August 2021, Burkazi was married with two children but left Afghanistan claiming his life would have been in danger. He eventually arrived in the UK where his asylum application was initially refused, though he is appealing that decision.
"He accepts he behaved in the way alleged. It was not his intention to cause the victim fear, alarm or distress," Mr Mohammed stated. "He described he was lonely. He had not much to do. He recognises his conviction may jeopardise his asylum application. He regrets what he has done and he is sorry."
Victim Impact Statement
The schoolgirl submitted a powerful victim impact statement that revealed the psychological toll of Burkazi's actions. "He offered me money and said creepy things to me. This man was obsessed with me. I could not live a normal life," she wrote.
"He said, 'baby, sexy'. It made me feel uncomfortable. I have stopped hanging around with my friends. I feel scared and intimidated. I no longer feel safe. I have psychologically suffered," the victim stated.
Sentencing and Consequences
Judge Graeme Smith sentenced Burkazi to 40 months in prison and handed him a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.
"You came here from Afghanistan and sought asylum," Judge Smith told Burkazi. "You were placed in accommodation where you were very much on your own. You developed an obsession with the victim. When arrested, indecent images of small children were found on your phone."
The judge noted Burkazi's explanation about the images: "You dealt with this in your basis of plea saying you did not request that material. It was part of legal pornography you obtained and you accept you should not have opened the files. You now express regret, remorse and shame."
Burkazi will serve half the sentence in custody before being released on licence. Judge Smith addressed the deportation issue: "You are in principle liable to automatic deportation at that point. But there are exceptions to that principle and the understanding of the police is that you will not be deported. If you are not deported you will be released into the community on licence."
The judge issued a final warning: "You must then comply with the conditions and commit no further offences."
