In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Mohammed Damaniya, then 53, of Olympia Gardens, Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was banned from all markets in the borough following a conviction for attempting sexual communication with a child. On Wednesday, 5 June 2019, Damaniya appeared at Leeds Crown Court, where he was handed a 24-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.
The investigation established that Damaniya was exposed in 2018 by the online paedophile hunting group Parents Aligned. The group recorded a confrontation with him at Dewsbury Market, West Yorkshire, where they detailed explicit messages he had sent to a decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl. During the “sordid” exchange, Damaniya sent images of his genitalia, links to pornographic videos, and discussed how he would “take her virginity” once she reached 18. He also expressed a desire to book a hotel room to have sex with the child because she was “pure” and “untouched.”
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Damaniya admitted to sending the decoy videos demonstrating different sex acts and requesting photographs of her breasts. Leeds Crown Court heard that the defendant’s actions were a calculated attempt to groom a minor for future sexual activity. The judge noted that the level of explicit communication and the planning involved in discussing hotel bookings demonstrated a clear predatory intent in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
The judge noted that the community’s safety was a primary concern, leading to the administrative ban from all Kirklees Council markets. This move followed alerts from Clr Aleks Lukic, who highlighted residents’ fears that Damaniya was still operating a stall in Dewsbury Market despite his conviction. For his actions, the court determined that the seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was necessary to prevent him from deleting his internet history and to facilitate police monitoring of his digital activities.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Mohammed Damaniya was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 24 months in prison, suspended for two years.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for seven years.
- SHPO: A seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
- Borough Ban: Permanently excluded from all markets in Kirklees.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Leeds Crown Court following guilty pleas.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Damaniya is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by West Yorkshire Police and the Probation Service. Due to the nature of the grooming and the public confrontation at Dewsbury Market, West Yorkshire, his management is subject to oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a registered sex offender, Damaniya must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, for the next 7 years. Authorities state that his SHPO, which specifically bans him from deleting his browsing history, is a vital tool for ensuring he does not resume his “vile” online activities. Any breach of his registration conditions, the SHPO, or his market ban will result in immediate arrest and a return to Leeds Crown Court.
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