A man seeking asylum allegedly lured a 13-year-old schoolchild he had connected with through social media to secluded woodland in Nottingham, where he sexually assaulted her, a court has heard.
Abdul Khan, aged 28, allegedly used Snapchat to groom the teenager by claiming he was a 14-year-old male before escorting her to the area in Clifton, where the sexual assault allegedly occurred, the jury was informed.
The youngster returned home and contacted a friend via message to report she had been sexually assaulted before informing her father, Nottingham Crown Court was told.
When the defendant was taken into custody, he stated he had entered the UK concealed in a goods vehicle and could not have assaulted the girl as he had never engaged in sexual intercourse.
Khan, who has a Pashto interpreter assisting him, faces nine charges including rape, communicating sexually with a minor, meeting a child following grooming behaviour, sexual activity with a minor and obstructing justice.
He denies all charges.
Prosecutor Kevin Jones, presenting the case, stated the assault allegedly took place in Scout Wood Nature Reserve off Farnborough Road on May 14 last year.
He informed the jury comprising four women and eight men that the complainant received a connection request from someone using the name Abs on Snapchat.
She informed him she was 14 and he claimed he was also 14.
They exchanged sexual messages and he sent her a communication asking if she wanted to engage in sexual activity.
On May 14 she was at school, she received a message asking if she was at school and she confirmed she was and would be leaving shortly, sending him a location marker indicating where she was and he replied he would meet her there.
They met at the Summerwood Lane tram stop and she appeared somewhat taken aback by his appearance as he did not seem to match the photographs.
While travelling to a friend’s residence he attempted to kiss her.
They visited the friend’s home and remained there briefly before departing.
She informed her friend they were heading to the woodland area.
The two boarded the tram to Southchurch Drive and walked to the woodland, she stated it was his suggestion.
Upon arriving at the woodland, Abs began unfastening her trousers and instructed her to lie down, she stated she complied because she was attempting to remain calm.
Mr Jones stated the defendant, who has no permanent residence, then allegedly assaulted her. She returned home unaccompanied and when she arrived her father was present.
He informed the court she did not immediately reveal what had occurred and had a disagreement with her father before going upstairs and messaging a friend stating she had been assaulted.
The prosecutor stated she subsequently visited that friend’s home but her father messaged her instructing her to return. She then disclosed to him what she stated had happened.
Mr Jones stated her school uniform was forensically examined and showed a DNA match to Khan.
He stated Mr Khan was taken into custody by Derbyshire Police regarding an unrelated matter and his telephone was seized.
That matter involved sexual communication with a child from April 21, 2025 where he was dispatching sexualised Snapchat messages to a child which he has acknowledged.
His telephone was examined and displayed messages had been exchanged between the defendant and the Clifton victim.
He stated he entered the UK concealed in a goods vehicle in 2015 and provided a date of birth of December 26, 2004 in his asylum application.
He was questioned under caution and stated he was almost 16 and had never engaged in sexual intercourse.
The case continues.