In 2026, 26-year-old Wahidullah Hotak, a shop worker from Birmingham, was jailed for 10 years after carrying out a predatory assault on a woman in the store where he was employed. The investigation established that the victim, a woman in her 20s, had entered the shop on Wednesbury High Street in the early hours of 28 February 2025 to purchase a vape. The prosecution reported at Birmingham Crown Court that after the woman asked to use the toilet, Hotak left his position behind the counter to follow and rape her, identifying a total abandonment of human decency.
SENTENCING — On Thursday, 7 May 2026, the judiciary at Birmingham Crown Court imposed a 10-year custodial sentence. PC Precious Harris praised the victim’s bravery and courage in reporting the crime and providing evidence, noting that specialized DNA evidence made it a billion times more likely that the profile belonged to Hotak than any other person. Hotak had denied the charge but was convicted by a jury in February.
- OFFENCES: Convicted of one count of rape.
- OUTCOME: Jailed for 10 years.
- NATURE OF OFFENCE: The offender utilized his position as a shop worker to target a customer. He exploited a request for a basic facility to trap the victim in a secluded area of the store to facilitate the sexual violation.
- LOCATION OF OFFENCES: High Street, Wednesbury, West Midlands.
- PROFILE: Wahidullah Hotak, 26. He is documented as a dangerous predator who turned a public retail environment into a crime scene.
- UK SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER: Subject to mandatory lifelong notification requirements.
- COURT PROCEEDINGS: Trial and sentencing held at Birmingham Crown Court.
- CRIMINAL RECORD: Registered sex offender and convicted rapist jailed in 2026.
- ORIGIN OF OFFENDER: Hotak is from Douglas Road, Birmingham.
QUESTION – Given that “the offender utilized his employment behind a shop counter to facilitate the rape of a customer in the store’s toilets,” do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Retail and Service Workers” must be “Sentenced to Mandatory Enhanced Background Checks and Licensing” to prevent a series of assaults?
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.