A former Imam convicted of exploiting his position as a revered religious leader in east London to rape female worshippers was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court on Thursday, officials said. 

The man was found guilty of committing as many as 21 sexual offences, including rape, sexual assault and violating minor girls. As per reports, he sexually violated seven women and girls between 2004 and 2015. The accused, identified as Abdul Halim Khan, pretended to possess spiritual powers to coerce and sexually abuse minor girls as young as 12, a probe by the Metropolitan Police revealed. 

Cops shed light on the issue before court during hearing

During a hearing at Snaresbrook Court in London this week, Justice Leslie Cuthbert pronounced the verdict, sentencing the 54-year-old to life. It was also observed that the accused must serve a minimum of 20 years in jail before being considered for parole. 

Met Police Detective Chief Inspector Jennie Ronan told the court, “Abdul presented himself as a respectable and trustworthy man. However, this was far from the truth and he instead preyed upon and took advantage of others. The court was informed that Khan specifically targeted females belonging to the Bangladeshi Muslim Community of Tower Hamlets in east London, because of his standing in the area and the shame the survivors might feel in speaking out about sexual abuse. 

Khan pretended to have been possessed by supernatural spirit, exploited females

Reports further claimed that Khan abused his position as the imam of a mosque in the area to manipulate victims. He arranged meetings at isolated locations and even at their homes. He thereafter used to abuse them sexually under the guise of being possessed by a jinn (Supernatural spirit). 

Melissa Garner, Specialist Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said that Khan used the survivors’ deeply held beliefs to instill fear and silence them, making them believe their families would be at risk if they ever narrated their ordeal to anyone.

During the course of the probe led by the Met Police, further victims were identified, after some initial concerns were raised. The CPS said it worked jointly with the police team to build a case spanning more than a decade of offending. Moreover, the CPS instructed a cultural expert to provide essential context central to the case, so that they could provide the jury a proper understanding of complex evidence involving spiritual beliefs; including references to jinn and black magic. 

The Met Police, after the verdict, quoted a survivor as saying, “After eight long years, I am relieved that justice has been served. But even with this outcome, the trauma does not disappear that easily.” She added, “The scars remain, and healing is a lifelong journey. Speaking out was terrifying, but it has also been a step towards reclaiming my strength.” 

Youngest victim lodged complaint at her school in 2018

The police said they were apprised of Khan’s crimes for the first time in 2018, when the youngest survivor reported him to a teacher at her school. The police sprung into action and launched a probe. They interviewed 50 witnesses and examined 10 cell phone devices. During interrogation, Khan denied the allegations, terming it a ‘conspiracy’, and the victims had hatched a plot for revenge.

However, in February 2026, the jury found him guilty of nine counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, five courts of rape of a child under 13 and one count of assault by penetration.