A Yemeni asylum seeker has avoided jail and deportation despite being caught with child abuse videos.
Osamah Al-Haddad, 26, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photos of children and one count of making a “pseudo-photograph” of a child.
Al-Haddad also gave a thumbs-up to a camera while walking away from Isleworth Crown Court after being sentenced to just 30 weeks in jail, suspended for a year.
The court heard that Al-Haddad arrived in the UK on a student visa, but applied for asylum after claiming that his father was being hunted down by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
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Under current law, any asylum seeker that is sentenced to more than a year in prison can have their status refused and face deportation
Any asylum seeker that is sentenced to more than a year in prison can have their status refused and face deportation.
But the Yemeni national was spared over fears that he would be forced to fight for the Houthis if he was forcibly returned to his native country.
John Hunter, defending the 26-year-old in court, said: “The Houthis also asked the defendant where he was because they wanted him to join their army.”
“As a result of that, he then applied for asylum. He is not able to return to Yemen, because of his fear of repercussions for refusing to fight,” he added.
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Isleworth Crown Court heard that Al-Haddad arrived in the UK on a student visa, but applied for asylum after claiming that his father was being hunted down by the Houthis
Prosecutor James O’Connell said immigration officials discovered his incriminating material, which included a video of a man having sex with a goat, after Al-Haddad’s phone was searched during an asylum screening.
“The defendant was interviewed and made no comment to questions he was asked,” he said.
While Al-Haddad’s asylum case was under review, Hunter revealed that he has permission to live and work in Plymouth.
He added that he works in a restaurant, pocketing £781 per month, and soon hopes to bring his wife and child to live in the UK.
Al-Haddad claimed that the images were sent to him on WhatsApp by a friend.
Judge Fiona Barrie told the asylum seeker via an Arabic translator: “You are 26 years of age and you pleaded guilty to all offences. The category-A video involves an act of bestiality which is grotesque and is depraved.
“You should do well to remember that this is a real child who has experienced this abuse, and those are significant aggravating factors.
“You claim you have no sexual interest in children and received the images from a WhatsApp group. But I share the concerns of the pre-sentence report which state that you are not entirely honest about that,” she added.
Alongside the suspended prison sentence, Al-Haddad will face a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
