A criminal defence solicitor who paid two 13-year-old girls hundreds of pounds for explicit images before sexually abusing them on around 20 occasions has been sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison.
Suleman Baig, 40, from Grimsby, exploited his relationship with the young victims after first encountering them through a childhood friend whose daughter he was close to.
Leeds Crown Court heard how Baig offered the girls increasing sums of money, up to £100 for a single photograph, to send him nude images via Snapchat. He hid cash in the family home for them to find, including stuffed inside toilet rolls in the bathroom. In total, he paid his victims between £500 and £600.
The abuse escalated when Baig began making the girls perform sexual acts. The court was told he instructed one victim to “think about vegetables” to distract herself while he abused her.
Following his arrest by Humberside Police on 20 November 2021, officers discovered more than 700 indecent and prohibited images of children stored in private apps on his devices. These included “pseudo images” of one victim that Baig had created using editing software based on photographs she had sent him.
Baig, who as a practising solicitor understood the gravity of his crimes, then attempted to pressure his victims into withdrawing their accusations. He was arrested a second time on 2 December 2021 on suspicion of witness intimidation.
When granted bail on condition he surrender his passport within 24 hours, Baig presented police with a document that had expired nearly two decades earlier. Prosecutors successfully opposed his bail and he was remanded in custody.
Baig pleaded guilty to 15 charges including sexual assault, inciting children to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images of children, and two counts of intending to pervert the course of justice.
Graham Guest, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, described Baig’s actions as “calculated, predatory, and deeply disturbing.”
Philip Shrimpton from Humberside Police praised the courage of both victims for reporting the abuse and supporting the prosecution despite Baig’s attempts to silence them.
Anyone affected by similar crimes can contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
