Awsaf Ahmed 30

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Update: On Monday 17 June, Ahmed was sentenced at London Inner Crown Court to 10 years in jail. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

A man has been found guilty of several serious sexual offences, following a joint British Transport Police (BTP) and Bedfordshire Police investigation.

Awsaf Ahmed, aged 30, of Rutland Avenue, High Wycombe was found guilty by a jury of rape of a female under 16, and causing / inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday 24 April 2024. Ahmed had already pleaded guilty to a charge of causing / inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at an earlier hearing. A sentencing date has been set for Friday 14 June 2024.

The court heard how, on Tuesday 10 October 2023, at around 10.30pm, the victim – a girl aged 14 – was on board a train heading towards London Marylebone station when Ahmed entered the carriage. Ahmed engaged the victim and her group of friends in conversation, asking their age and if they smoked weed.

Ahmed then pressured the victim to get her alone, coercing her to speak to him privately in the toilets and insinuating he had friends everywhere, making her fear for her friend’s safety. Upon entering the toilet, Ahmed locked them inside and despite her repeated pleas for him to stop, raped her. Following the attack, he added her on Snapchat to continue his contact with her. The victim reported the rape to British Transport Police the following day. Later that evening, Ahmed called the victim on Snapchat, asking her “When do you turn 16?” and “Did you enjoy yesterday?”.

Less than a week later, Bedfordshire Police received a report of an incident involving Ahmed. The court heard how on 16 October 2023, Ahmed attempted to engage a girl, aged 15, in sexual activity. Initially, he engaged her in conversation about her jewellery and heritage, before the conversation became more threatening, telling the victim everyone had it in them to kill and if he was disrespected, he could make someone disappear with just one text or call.

Following this he turned the conversation to relationships, asking the 15-year-old for relationship advice before asking her about her own relationship status and sexual experience. He then attempted to coerce her into engage in sexual activity with him. Thankfully, the victim was after able to leave the situation and reported Ahmed to Bedfordshire Police the following day.

On 27 October Ahmed was arrested and charged with offences committed on 10 and 11 October 2023. The investigations were linked, and Ahmed was further charged with offences committed 16 October 2023.

BTP Investigating officer Detective Constable Matthew Nolan said: “Ahmed is a callous predator who targeted young girls for his own sexual gratification. Despite the victim’s repeated pleas for him to stop, he trapped her and raped her, making her fear for not only herself but her friend’s safety. I hope the guilty verdict goes some way in bringing her some closure."

BTP Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Paul Attwell said: “These were extremely frightening experiences for Ahmed’s victims, and I praise them for reporting him so we could act. Ahmed’s coercive and threatening behaviour towards young, vulnerable girls will never be tolerated on the rail network, or anywhere else and I’m thankful to see today’s verdict.”

Detective Constable Rani Bailey, from Bedfordshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team, said: “Ahmed’s behaviour was unacceptable and his actions were predatory. We are relentlessly pursing those who think this behaviour is acceptable, and we remain committed to bringing perpetrators of abuse to justice. Regardless of what happened, if someone has made you feel uncomfortable or disrespected your boundaries, it is never too late to come forward and report what has happened to you.”