In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that 20-year-old Yaaqob Saleh—of Wendell Street, Toxteth—was jailed for 12 months after sexually assaulting a vulnerable customer. The investigation established that the victim had entered the Liverpool One Newsagents on Whitechapel seeking help after her phone died following a St Patrick’s Day night out. The prosecution reported that Saleh permitted her to charge her mobile behind the counter but quickly began a persistent and predatory sexual attack, ignoring her repeated rejections.
The investigation established that Saleh targeted the victim while she was alone and vulnerable. The prosecution reported that he touched her thigh and requested a kiss before placing his hand up her skirt and touching her vagina over her clothing. When Saleh was distracted by other customers, the victim was left so traumatized that she curled into a ball on the shop floor in tears. It was only after her phone gained enough charge to contact a friend that she was able to escape the premises.
Judicial Findings and Lack of Remorse
The court reported that Saleh showed a total refusal to “take no for an answer” and demonstrated a high level of persistence. The investigation established that Saleh initially denied the charges and even attempted to appeal his conviction after being found guilty at the magistrates’ court. The prosecution reported that during the sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Dennis Watson KC dismissed Saleh’s “very, very late expression of remorse,” noting it held marginal weight given his previous attempts to avoid accountability.
Judge-led proceedings concluded with Saleh being sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders’ institute. For his actions in Liverpool city centre and the nature of the predatory assault reported, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years. The judge also issued a four-year restraining order, noting that Saleh’s behavior was a gross violation of a person seeking refuge and assistance.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial orders issued at Liverpool Crown Court in 2026:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (Sentenced to 12 months in a Young Offenders’ Institute in 2026).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for 10 YEARS.
- Restraining Order: Active for 4 YEARS (Prohibits contact with the victim).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; permanently barred from all regulated activity).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual assault).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court; investigated by Merseyside Police.
- Criminal Record: Sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman seeking help in a newsagents; Persistent “predatory” behavior after she said no; Initially denied the offence and appealed the conviction; Targeted a victim stranded in a city centre.
- Origin: Wendell Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Saleh is managed as a registered sex offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Merseyside. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his decision to exploit a lone, vulnerable woman while he was in a position of responsibility as a shop worker—he is a priority for post-custody supervision. Authorities reported that the 2026 conviction ensures Saleh is subject to strict monitoring to prevent any repeat of his persistent sexual aggression.
As a registered sex offender, his details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that Saleh’s history identifies him as an individual who prioritised his own sexual desires over the safety of a member of the public in need. Any failure by Saleh to notify police of his movements in Toxteth or elsewhere, or any breach of his four-year restraining order, will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who has violated the principles of human decency.
QUESTION – Given that the offender exploited a woman who entered his shop for “Refuge,” do you believe that “City-Wide Exclusion Zones” should be legally mandatory for sex offenders who target victims in public convenience stores or newsagents?
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