Grooming and abuse
Swansea Crown Court heard that Mohammed Raihan, 22, of Phillip’s Parade in the city centre, was a third‑year software engineering student when he targeted the girl in the summer of 2024. He groomed her before carrying out a series of sexual assaults, including two rapes.
When the victim told him his actions were hurting her, the court was told Raihan chillingly replied: “Good.”
The abuse left the teenager traumatised. In a statement read to the court, she described how she no longer felt safe going out alone, constantly looked over her shoulder in fear of being followed, and panicked whenever a man came near. She said she felt like “a different person” from the girl she had been before encountering Raihan.
Threats to silence the victim
After the girl reported the abuse to police, Raihan contacted her and made threats in an attempt to force her to withdraw her complaint. Despite this, she stood firm and later gave evidence in court, which was key to securing his conviction.
When officers arrested Raihan, they also discovered indecent images of children on his phone, ranging from Category A — the most serious — to Category C.
Sentencing outcome
Raihan denied all charges but was convicted by a jury in June. On 4 November, Judge Catherine Richards sentenced him to a total of 15 years in prison: 13 years for the rapes, two years consecutive for witness intimidation, and one year concurrent for the image offences.
He must serve two‑thirds of the sentence in custody before being released on licence. He will also be on the sex offenders register for life and is subject to a 20‑year restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim.
The judge told him he had exploited the girl’s vulnerabilities and shown no remorse, noting that while he could appear outwardly charming, “behind closed doors” he was capable of very different behaviour.
Police praise victim’s courage
Detective Constable Mark Wells, who led the investigation for South Wales Police, praised the bravery of the young victim:
“It is critical at this time to recognise the courage of the young victim in this investigation. My hope is that they are able to move forward from this in a positive way and gain some form of closure.”
He added that the case showed how seriously such crimes are taken, and urged other survivors of sexual abuse to come forward, stressing that reports will be treated with sensitivity and professionalism.
