A sex offender who groped a 16-year-old girl and possessed a sexual image of a young child has avoided jail – and avoided telling his wife about his crimes.

Yasir Mohabbat, 33, of Booker Lane in High Wycombe was handed a 15-month sentence, suspended for two years, at Aylesbury Crown Court today (Friday) after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault.

He had also pleaded guilty to possessing an indecent image of a child and possessing images of extreme pornography with an animal.

The court heard how on October 4, 2017, Mohabbat sexually touched a 16-year-old girl in the back of his car without her consent, after attempting to get her to drink alcohol.

Sentencing, judge Anesta Weekes said: “It’s clear you were very keen for her to have alcohol, I don’t know if it was a deliberate plan but it was clear you thought alcohol would help her be more pliable, but she didn’t drink it.”

The court heard from the defence, John Kearney, that Mohabbat wanted to “form a relationship” with the girl.

Mr Kearney said: “It may be unattractive, but it is not uncommon and not illegal.”

The defence barrister also added that Mohabbat, who moved to the UK from Pakistan five years ago, had kept the offence a secret from his wife and family, despite it happening in 2017.

Mr Kearney said: “He has kept the fact of this offence from his wife because he fears the consequences.

“The consequence would be divorce and that would have repercussions for his family in Pakistan. He’s very concerned about that.”

In response, the judge said: “That is something that your client has to manage, and not something the court has to be overly concerned about.”

A jury found Mohabbat guilty of sexual assault, but he had also pleaded guilty to two further offences.

Mohabbat was found to have a sexual video of a primary school-aged boy, and was also in possession of 11 sexual images of a woman with a horse.

Police found that these images and video came into Mohabbat's possession some time between April 2015 and October 2017.

Mr Kearney told the court that the video of the boy had been sent to Mohabbat by a friend in Pakistan, and that he had “viewed it and immediately deleted it.”

“There is no reason to suggest he was in any way interested in children or young boys,” he added.

On the other charge, Mr Kearney said: “It’s bestiality, and for him he said it’s a curiosity.”

Mohabbat got an additional four-month sentence for each of the two charges, suspended for two years, which he will serve at the same time as the 15-month sentence.

He was also given a two-year sexual harm prevention order and given a curfew for the next three months.