Poplar rapist jailed for 17 years

A rapist from Poplar has been jailed for 17 years after carrying out years of sexual and emotional abuse.

Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, 33, of Stewart Street, filmed his victim on his mobile phone as he raped her before blackmailing her, saying that he would publish the footage online with her phone number and claim that she was a prostitute.

He was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of three charges of rape, one charge of battery and one charge of voyerism at a hearing last month.

Islam first met his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in Bangladesh in 2008 and the abuse started two years later after she moved to the UK to study.

On one occasion, he raped his victim before telling her: “I am so lucky; I am so happy. I am controlling your life”.

He also tried to strangle her when she refused to get in his car when he tried to pick her up from work and assaulted her colleague with a set of keys.

The victim has now been has rehomed following support from a dedicated officer from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, The Ashiana Network, a London-based charity which offers help and support to victims of abuse within Asian, Turkish and Iranian communities, and The Havens at Whitechapel.

Det Con Caroline Horden, from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “The victim has shown great strength of character, she found the courage to come forward and speak about her terrible ordeal and because of this a very dangerous individual has been brought to justice.”