A “high-risk” self-confessed paedophile from Dundee who victimised a girl on TikTok has been jailed “to bring home the seriousness” of his predatory offending.
Raheel Bajwa, 20, bombarded the girl with images and videos on apps like TikTok and Snapchat for more than a year from an address in Dundee.
The city’s sheriff court heard how Bajwa’s face was visible in some of the videos, which were shared with others in large group chats.
Blasted for his lack of remorse and minimisation, Bajwa – currently an inmate in HMP Polmont – was sentenced to a year of detention in a young offenders institute.
Sick messages
The court previously heard the girl was 13 when she was added on social media by Bajwa.
He engaged in “general” conversations until his “demeanour changed” and became “more grotesque”.
Bajwa added the girl to a large Snapchat group chat and would post indecent images of his private parts and people engaging in sexual activity and sexual communications.
Screenshots and screen recordings were taken by the girl between May and July 2023 and she said she would tell her guidance teacher, before blocking Bajwa.
On July 12 2023, the girl received a voice note from Bajwa via a mutual friend that said: “Inshallah God willing you get raped, your mother gets cancer and gets raped.
“Wait till I see you in person.”
In some conversations, Bajwa describes himself as a paedophile, as well as sharing a letter detailing his strict supervision requirements.
Plea for extra protective measures
Fiscal depute Lee Corr asked for Bajwa to be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a decade.
“The reasoning for this is that firstly, the accused has been identified as high risk by MAPPA.
“In the space of two years, the accused now has convictions regarding children and young persons – a 2022 conviction and the matter before the court now.
“These are sexual and it’s against people under the age of 16.”
Mr Corr also asked for a five year non-harassment order (NHO) to be put in place to protect Bajwa’s victim and for his devices to be forfeited.
Self-humiliation
Sentencing had been deferred for the preparation of background reports.
Bajwa’s solicitor Alexandra Short said: “The report makes it clear Mr Bajwa… really is a young gentleman who needs some help.
“Even from a young age, Mr Bajwa has shown that something has gone on. There’s some similar behaviour from a young age.
“They think he really needs to be assessed in matters such as ADHD, a personality disorder and a learning disability.
“This is really all on Snapchat. It was a large group. Mr Bajwa posted to get a reaction.
“He doesn’t have the best social skills. Quite often he is doing things to humiliate himself and for people to laugh at him and essentially get attention that way.
“Instead of going out and hanging out, he ends up sitting at home and going online.
“It started with sending these images to humiliate himself.
“Mr Bajwa really needs intervention. Since he was at school there have been issues but they’ve never managed to address these.
“When he doesn’t get the reaction he liked from the complainer, that’s when he really goes too far and he sends the voice note.
“I think it’s lack of maturity. He doesn’t follow social clues very well.”
Locked up ‘to bring home seriousness’
Sheriff Paul Brown imposed a year of detention and granted the orders, as well as forfeiture of his devices.
He placed Bajwa on the sex offenders register for 10 years and narrated a string of strict conditions which will come with the SHPO.
Among them, Bajwa will be banned from playparks, contact with under 16s and deleting his internet history.
He must declare devices, friendships and relationships and only live in approved accommodation.
The sheriff said: “This complainer clearly felt victimised by this.
“You stand before me as a young person who’s tendered pleas of guilty to serious offences against a child, against a background of previous offending.
“I take into account your obvious immaturity. I see the difficulties and issues in your own life growing up.
“The nature of the offending means I have to look at protection of the public.
“Rehabilitation is a primary consideration.
“You need a period of detention, in my view, to bring home the seriousness of your offending.
“Your offending has had a clear and significant impact on your victim.
“You’ve showed little by way of remorse and there’s a tendency to minimise your behaviour.”
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