Ahmadi leader faces sexual assault charges in US

New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) A former leader of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in Texas is facing multiple charges and allegations of sexual abuse of a minor boy from the community over two years, Samaa TV reported.

The alleged crimes took place between March 2018 and March 2020 while the accused, Muneeb Ur Rehman Ahmad, 38, was working on an assignment from the religious body to oversee boys aged seven to 15 at the Ahmadi Bait-ul-Ikram Mosque in Dallas city, according to a report compiled by FACE, a US-based non-profit with a mission “to foster safe community environments by holding abusive religious and community leadership accountable”.

Ahmad was earlier arrested on March 11, 2020, and was later released on bail after furnishing a $100,000 surety bond. He faces at least six charges, including three charges of sexual assault of a child and three charges of indecency with a child by sexual contact, the report said.

These charges are in two different counties — Denton and Collin. There are two other allegations of the same nature against Ahmad in Harris County. His trial is yet to conclude.

Ahmad is from Canada but due to the confiscation of his passport by the court, he cannot leave the US.

According to the FACE report, the accused groomed the 14-year-old boy under his care. Over the course of at least 11 documented encounters, the accused was reported to have sexually abused the boy at his apartment, in his car, and during community events and on youth group trips they both attended.

During the sex abuse interaction, the victim was appointed as Nazim Atfal (head of boys aged seven to 15) on July 21, 2019. The identity of the victim and his family were not disclosed over his request, Samaa TV reported.

–IANS

san/arm