Description
A 'manipulative' paedophile who tried to recruit vulnerable young girls as escorts after posting modelling ads on Craigslist has been jailed. Shaker Sharif sexually abused five teenagers, who he knew to be under 16, by constantly asking them for sexual videos and photos, screen recording them engaged in sex acts on Facetime, and paying them for other sexual content.
The 44-year-old predator, of Middleton Avenue, in Greenford, Ealing, West London, appeared in an olive green hoodie at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday, May 30, where he was jailed for three years and nine months for the vile sex crimes committed between 2015 and 2016. Prior to the hearing, Sharif had been on a restrictive sexual risk order since 2020, limiting his contact with children.
According to Companies House filings, the pervert was formerly a director of a dissolved property management company, Tenantbox Limited, which previously advertised rooms across London, while offering landlords a zero per cent management fee. Among the accounts followed by the company's Twitter page are a massage equipment company and a user called 'Sexpestinthecity'.
Shaker met his first victim, a 14-year-old girl, in 2015, using the pseudonym 'Jay Biggs' to swap sexual images with her, including fully naked photos. Prosecutor Corinne Bramwell said he used 'grooming' methods, like sending links to pornography websites and reference to his escorting business. "He would talk about meeting girls and providing 600 for happy endings," said Ms Bramwell.
For months the sickening conversations continued until the girl told Sharif it seemed like he only wanted indecent images of her masturbating or for her to have sex with him. After telling her, in his twisted mind, they were in a relationship, he carried on asking for the photos, with reference to sex and masturbating together. In all, 159 indecent images of the girl were recovered by police.
The second victim was just 13 years old when she started chatting to Sharif on a teenage dating app in August 2016. The app meant for teenagers has been known as 'a playground for paedophiles' since 2014 when the NSPCC issued a warning to parents. The girl claimed she was 19 years old, while Sharif was aged 36, some years above the maximum intended age range.
This time Sharif asked if the girl was a virgin, and preyed on her vulnerabilities when she disclosed self-harm and being bullied at school. Within a day of starting the conversation, he sent the girl a photo of his penis and called her 89 times. He also asked her for contact details of friends, to which she provided a number. Ms Bramwell said there was evidence Sharif called that number.
In September of that year, Sharif asked for more pictures. When the girl asked what of, he told her 'I want to see your body, tits, p**sy, all'. The victim of Sharif's persistent demand for photos sent him two more images, which only prompted him to ask again. She eventually told him she would stop because he was 'annoying' and she was not allowed to.
In relation to his next victim, a 17-year-old girl, Sharif was caught with 164 indecent images. Messages from the former property manager included 'I wish you were older' and offers to make money out of her if she would 'trust' him. After telling her 'how much girls make in the sex industry' he asked her to come to London. Police later found evidence of 55 payments to her bank account.
A fourth victim was 15 years old in 2015 when she responded to Sharif's Craigslist advert for teen models claiming she was aged 16. Their conversations developed with Sharif asking if she wanted to join the agency, while she disclosed a rate of 170 a shoot. After the girl responded to two more adverts, Sharif asked if she would do 'sexual shoots or videos' in Shepherd's Bush.
The final victim received multiple bank transfers of between 10 to 20 in exchange for sexual content when she was just 14 years old in June 2015. The messages - described as 'plainly manipulative' by Ms Bramwell - included Sharif's claim that he 'loved' the girl and accused her of not caring about him. As the victim pointed out, it was Sharif who did not care about her and would talk about other girls and sex, rather than asking her how she was, Ms Bramwell told the court.
Ms Bramwell referred to Sharif's legitimate adult escorting activities, but could not provide evidence that his abuse of the girls was 'commercial'. Referring to a recent probation report, she accused Sharif of victim blaming due to his 'disconnect between being ashamed and remorseful'. "How he talks about the complainants effectively puts blame on them for starting conversations," she added.
'In part, this is a victimless case'
Sharif was arrested at his home on September 27, 2017 on an unrelated matter, during which devices were seized containing evidence of his child exploitation. He denied 20 counts - which included making indecent images of children, inciting children into sexual activity, and causing the sexual exploitation of children - at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in October 2022.
At a pre-trial hearing in 2023 he reversed his pleas on five counts, but the case was still set to go to trial for the remaining 15 counts in March of this year. With all his victims ready to face him in court, Sharif then reversed another seven pleas just 10 days before the trial, bringing his confessions to 12 of the charges. The Crown decided it was not in the public interest to pursue the remaining eight counts which were left to lie on file at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday.
It means Sharif admitted five counts of causing the sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of paying for the sexual services of a child, one count inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and four counts of making indecent photos of children in Category C.
Defence counsel Zacharias Miah called for a suspended sentence as he outlined the long delay in bringing the case to court and the recommendation of a community order by the probation service. While he conceded the same report write concluded Sharif posed a high risk of harm to children, he said this could best be managed outside of prison.
"In part, this is a victimless case," argued Mr Miah. "As some of them are not involved in these proceedings. It was all based on data from his laptop and phone."
Ms Bramwell hit back at this by reading out one of the victim's impact statements, in which the girl blamed her depression, anxiety, and panic attacks on Sharif's abuse.
Mr Miah pointed to Sharif's previous good character, poor mental health at the time, and obesity as he reached for mitigation. The barrister also highlighted Sharif's progress with various schemes for sex offenders, including a 'Sexaholics' clinic and the Safer Lives programme, and his compliance with the sexual risk order made in 2020.
'High level of manipulative behaviour'
Recorder Sam Robinson KC dismissed the recommendation of the probation officer, and Mr Miah's arguments for a suspended sentence, as he jailed Sharif for nearly four years. The judge highlighted Sharif's 'pattern of of long manipulative communications with vulnerable young girls', some of which lasted years, and left them with 'serious psychological harm'.
Referring to the lead offence, Recorder Robinson said: "I'm in no doubt the chats between the two of you were manipulative and controlling. The fact you sent links to porn websites and references to escort agencies. You sought to entice her about what other girls made in the escort business. She could make 600 with a happy ending. She, 15 years old, said she would like that money. You could see the power which you had over her."
Summarising the case, the judge added: "Your offending throughout these two years shows a high level of manipulative behaviour. You were constantly asking for images of young vulnerable girls. You persistently asked for sexual photos and videos and wanted to get some of them to act as escorts and come and meet you.
"You have described yourself as being deeply ashamed of your behaviour. So you should be. You have caused your victims a great deal of psychological distress."
Recorder Robinson fell short of finding Sharif legally 'dangerous', which would have led to longer licensing conditions upon release, but he did impose a seven-year sexual harm prevention order. Sharif must sign on the sex offenders register for life and pay a 170 victim surcharge. His sentence for the lead offence aggravated by the other offences, which earned him lesser concurrent sentences.