Man jailed for attempting to abduct a teenager in Stockport
A Wythenshawe man has been jailed for attempting to abduct a 14-year-old boy in Stockport in March last year.
At 4.30pm on 20th March 2023, a 14-year-old boy was walking along Jacksons Lane, Hazel Grove, Stockport when he saw an orange and black Mini parked in a layby on the opposite side of the road.
Sheraz Bhatti, 43, who was sitting in the Mini, shouted at the boy to get his attention. He asked him if he wanted to get in the car, offered to take him home and told him he had beverages.
The boy continued walking and when he arrived home, he told his parents what had happened, and they contacted the police.
Officers identified the distinctive car as belonging to Bhatti and attended his home in Wythenshawe the following day. The Mini was parked outside. They seized two phones which contained almost 300 Categories A, B and C indecent images of children, plus internet searches for a school on the street where he had been parked in the layby and had spoken to the boy.
Further investigation revealed that he also had four bank accounts which he had not informed the police about. This was in breach of the sex offender indefinite notification requirements he was made subject to following a previous conviction for sexual offences in 2008.
He initially denied attempting to abduct the boy but accepted that he was present. However, in December last year he pleaded guilty to all the offences.
Today Sheraz Bhatt has been sentenced to a total of 51 months (4 years and three months) imprisonment.
Richard Holliday, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: "This incident encapsulates every parent's worst nightmare. Sheraz Bhatti clearly poses a danger to children.
"I would like to thank the boy for his quick thinking in raising the alarm, which has helped us bring Bhatti to justice and protect other children from any other potential abuse.
"The Crown Prosecution Service takes offending of this nature extremely seriously and will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice."
Notes to editors
- Sheraz Bhatti's DOB is 21/01/1981
- Individual charges and sentences
- Attempting to abduct a child (20/03/2023) – 21 months imprisonment.
- Make indecent photographs of a child x 3 (08/10/2022-21/03/2023), Possess indecent photographs of a child x 2 (8/10/2022-21/03/2023), Distribute an indecent photograph of a child (06/02/2023) - 20 months imprisonment.
- Sex offenders register - fail comply with notification requirements (21/04/2008-21/03/2023) – 10 months imprisonment.