A Redditch man who groomed a child online has been sentenced to three years. 

Umar Dawood, aged 36, of Evesham Road, pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to three charges on Monday, June 10. 

Dawood was sentenced to three years for causing a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, nine months concurrent for being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one month concurrent for possessing extreme pornography. 

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order, registered as a sex offender and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228. 

The sentencing follows an investigation by West Mercia Police's Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET). 

Detective Sergeant Pete Wheeler, of West Mercia Police’s OCSET, said: "Dawood previously held a position of trust and was a local Iman teaching children within the local community. He also volunteered with a local children’s charity.

"The outcome of this investigation goes some way to ensuring that he is not able to work with children in the future and we hope will provide some reassurance that this offending has attracted a custodial sentence." 

You can find advice about child abuse and child sexual exploitation here 

You can report sexual offences and rape on the West Mercia Police website.  

Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting the website at crimestoppers-uk.org