A paedophile shopkeeper who groomed and sexually abused a girl who came to buy sweets at his store when she was aged just 13 was today jailed.
Rana Aslam’s victim branded him a “dirty paedophile scumbag” after he was found guilty of showering her with gifts and plying her with booze before carrying out sex attacks on her.
The abuse happened almost 20 years ago but the woman, now aged 32, did not come forward until after she had run into Aslam in the street twice in 2015.
He was finally convicted after a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court last month.
Jailing Aslam for a year and placing him on the sex offenders register for 10 years, a sheriff told him he had “satisfied his lustful desires” by abusing the girl.
The court heard Aslam, who runs a convenience store in Dundee’s Charleston district, preyed on the girl between August 1998 and August 2000.
Giving evidence from behind a screen she told how he bought her gifts including shoes, perfume, cash and a mobile phone.
The pervert also plied her with alcohol during the two-year campaign.
The court heard he drove her to various locations in Perthshire, Fife, Angus and Dundee and carried out sex attacks on her.
Speaking after his conviction Aslam’s victim, now a mum, said: “I would go in with my pocket money to buy sweets with my friend and he said we were ‘really pretty’.
“He enticed us into his car and bought us a McDonald’s. From there the abuse started.
“It began with him kissing and groping me.
“He would buy me CDs, perfume and even a mobile phone, which I had to hide from my parents.
“One time at a flat he gave me alcopops and I pretty much passed out.
“When I was 15 he started working elsewhere and I didn’t see him for years.”
She said she came forward after spotting him in the street 15 years later.
“I realised that he needed to be punished for what he did,” she said.
“At court I was shaking and couldn’t breathe.
“He portrayed himself as this honest, religious, family man but he’s the complete opposite.”
Aslam, 50, of Valgreen Court, Dundee, denied a charge of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour committed between August 20 1998 and August 20 2000.
He was found guilty after a one-day trial.
An allegation that he engaged in full sexual intercourse with the girl was removed from the charge.
Solicitor advocate Jim Laverty, defending, said: “He accepts that the nature of the offence requires deterrence and punishment in terms of a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff John Rafferty imposed a one-year prison sentence – the maximum available as the case was brought on summary complaint before a sheriff sitting alone without a jury.
He said: “This is a case where you have satisfied your lustful desires without having any regard whatsoever to the impact that that would have on your young female victim.
“Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.
“There would be justified public outrage if persons were allowed to behave in this manner and not punished by a custodial sentence.”
