Rapist who 'catfished' Muslim men on Snapchat and Grindr jailed

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Rapist who used social media to blackmail Muslim men jailed for 16 years24 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJosh ParryLGBT & identity reporterMetropolitan PoliceA man who created more than 100 fake social media profiles to blackmail and sexually assault other young Muslim men has been jailed for 16 years. Waleed Saeed, a British-born Muslim of Somali descent, was sentenced in what one Metropolitan Police officer described as the biggest "sexploitation" case he has dealt with. Snaresbrook Crown Court, London, heard how the 31-year-old used a network of fake Snapchat, Instagram and Grindr profiles to solicit intimate images of Muslim men and teenagers as young as 15, many of whom privately identified as gay or bisexual.

He would then threaten to "out" them to their friends and family. On occasions when victims could not pay his ransom, he would attempt to coerce them into meeting in person so he could sexually assault them. Saeed had been convicted of 17 offences, including rape, blackmail and making indecent images of children.

The Details

In March, Saeed pleaded guilty to nine charges relating to four victims, including two counts of threatening to share intimate images, two counts of blackmail and two counts of making indecent images of a child. A jury then found him guilty of eight other counts of charges including rape, attempted rape and blackmail. The understands The Met is now looking into around 100 more potential victims.

DC Peter Collington, who led the force's investigation, told the : "I am making a direct appeal to other victim-survivors who may not have had the confidence to come forward. "We want to treat you with compassion, with sensitivity and with absolute confidentiality. What has been done to you is wrong, and we will do everything in our power to support you.

"Saeed's offending, which dates back to 2018, was discovered in August 2024 when a rape in a London park was reported. The 18-year-old victim told police he had exchanged sexual images with someone he believed to be a transgender woman, but was in fact Saeed. Shortly afterwards, he received threatening messages from another account run by Saeed, revealing his true identity and demanding payment in exchange for not releasing the images.

When the victim could not pay, Saeed coerced him into meeting in a London park late at night on three separate occasions, where he sexually assaulted and raped him, while wearing a face covering to hide his identity. Forensic evidence recovered from the victim's phone led police to arrest Saeed and seize two mobile phones containing further intimate images of victims, some of whom are believed to be children. He used usernames such as "Trans Girl Leah", "amzyyyy09", and "ComeDeal" to target victims in London and across the UK.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.