Mosque teacher sexually abused girl (6)

A man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl at a Dublin mosque. Abdur Rashid, aged 50, was found guilty by jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of a single count of sexual assault occurring in December 2015. The accused, a former resident of Carrick-on-Shannon in Leitrim who later lived in Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment, with the final four months suspended for one year on condition he complies with Probation Services directions and maintains good behaviour. The child's mother discovered the assault when collecting her daughter from the school. Evidence revealed the accused displayed an "unhealthy interest" in the child prior to the incident. The victim subsequently experienced anxiety, nightmares and school avoidance. The judge described the offence as a "gross exploitation of the innocence of a very young child" and noted aggravating factors including the victim's age and breach of the teacher-student relationship. The sentence was backdated to January 2018.