Man jailed for kidnapping and raping a teenage girl in Hemel Hempstead

A man has been jailed after being found guilty of raping a 17 year old girl after he kidnapped her off the street in Hemel Hempstead.

Mohammed Atif Khan, of Upper Meadow in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court today (Wednesday 25 May) for:

• Kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence – 10 years
• Rape – 15 years with an 8 year licence extension
• Oral rape – 15 years with an 8 year licence extension
• Sexual assault by penetration – 15 years with an 8 year licence extension

He was jailed for 15 years with an extended licence period due to him posing a danger to the public, and must serve two-thirds in prison. A sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) was granted indefinitely, as well as a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim directly or indirectly.

Khan, aged 37, was convicted on Thursday 17 March. During the trial, the court heard how on the evening of Saturday 28 August last year, the victim had been out socialising with friends and was waiting to be collected by her family at the rear of Primark on Waterhouse Street, when Khan drove past in his vehicle.

CCTV cameras showed Khan reversing back and parking up, before he got the victim into the vehicle. He then proceeded to drive her to Chesham before both sexually assaulting and raping her.

Khan then drove the traumatised victim back to Hemel Hempstead and told her she could get out of the car, leaving her to make her way back to the town centre where she was later collected by her family. She bravely told them what had happened, and they called the police.

An investigation was launched by the constabulary’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team before the case was later taken on by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit (BCH MCU). Detectives trawled hours of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and CCTV footage to ascertain the movements of the vehicle involved in the offence.

They identified a white Volkswagen Polo of interest, which was registered to Khan at an address in Chesham in Buckinghamshire. The vehicle was forensically recovered, and Khan was arrested on Wednesday 1 September 2021.

Phone data analysis also placed Khan in the same locations as the victim at the time of the offences. Khan was later charged and pleaded not guilty. After Khan’s conviction, Judge Lynn Tayton QC commended the police investigation.

Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, from the BCH MCU, led the investigation. She said: “I am pleased that Khan will be behind bars for a very long time after being found guilty of these appalling crimes. Because this despicable man refused to admit what he had done his victim had to relive the traumatic events of that night so that he could be convicted.

“I would like to pay tribute to this young woman for her incredible courage throughout the whole investigation and court case. She has been supported by specially trained officers throughout and has also received additional help from partner organisations. I hope she can begin to rebuild her life now.”

Anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence can contact the Herts Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for practical and emotional support. The centre can arrange face-to-face support, sexual health referrals, and provide forensic medical examinations for those who want them.

To contact Herts SARC, call the 24/7 helpline on 0808 178 4448, email the team or visit Herts SARC (opens in new window).

This service is available to everyone – no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.