Men Jailed for Raping Teenager After Snapchat Grooming and Fleeing UK
Three Afghan nationals have been jailed after being convicted of sexually assaulting and raping a 17-year-old girl following a grooming campaign that began on Snapchat.
Mehrab Safi, 21, and 19-year-olds Awal Ahmadzai and Salman Habibkheli were found guilty at Bristol Crown Court of multiple offences against the teenager at a house in St Werburghs, Bristol, in November 2025.
Safi was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Ahmadzai and Habibkheli were each sentenced to nine years in a youth detention centre.
A fourth defendant, a 17-year-old boy, was also convicted of rape and sentenced to two years and seven months in a youth detention centre.
The victim cannot be named for legal reasons.
Contact Began on Snapchat
The court heard that the teenager first encountered Safi while Christmas shopping in Bristol on 25 November 2025.
They exchanged telephone numbers and Snapchat details.
According to Avon and Somerset Police, Safi subsequently used Snapchat to communicate with the girl and persuade her to send nude photographs.
Detective Sergeant Jo Babbage said the contact began approximately five days before the attacks and developed into what police described as a grooming process.
Safi later arranged a taxi to collect the girl from her home in Somerset and take her to a property in St Werburghs during the early hours of 30 November.
Attack at Bristol House
Police said the teenager was given alcohol after arriving at the property and was sexually assaulted and raped over a period of several hours.
Officers attended the address after the girl's mother reported her missing.
The 17-year-old boy was arrested at the scene.
Safi, Ahmadzai and Habibkheli, however, fled before they could be detained.
Men Fled the UK
The three men travelled first to Birmingham and London before leaving the UK.
They concealed themselves in the back of a lorry in an attempt to reach continental Europe.
Their journey ended in Calais, where French police discovered them.
They were subsequently returned to the UK and immediately arrested on suspicion of rape.
Mobile phone footage recovered from Safi's phone showed the three men inside the lorry.
The prosecution told the court the footage showed them laughing and gesticulating, suggesting they believed they had escaped.
Detective Sergeant Babbage said the men's discovery by French authorities was "fortuitous" and allowed them to be returned to Britain.
Victim Describes Lasting Trauma
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the teenager described the lasting impact of what happened.
She said she had become fearful of leaving her home and felt that she was a "different person" from the young woman she had been before the attacks.
She told the court that she now generally only leaves the house with her mother or best friend and experiences panic at the thought of going out alone.
She also described experiencing dreams about the incident and periods when memories of the trauma return.
Detective Sergeant Babbage praised the teenager for her bravery in reporting what had happened and throughout the investigation.
Judge Describes 'Unimaginable' Trauma
Sentencing the defendants, Judge Michael Cullum said the teenager had experienced "unimaginable" trauma.
The judge said the victim would have appeared vulnerable and highlighted the imbalance of power between Safi and the teenager.
He also referred to the cumulative trauma caused by the offences.
The court heard that the defendants had themselves experienced traumatic events in Afghanistan, including, in one case, the loss of a parent at the hands of the Taliban.
However, the judge made clear that those experiences did not excuse the offences.
Sex Offender Register Orders
All four defendants have been ordered to remain on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
They have also received Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, restricting their ability to communicate with children.
The sentences bring the criminal proceedings to a significant stage, but the impact on the victim is likely to continue long after the conclusion of the case.
Police Praise Victim's Courage
Avon and Somerset Police said the investigation demonstrated the importance of reporting sexual offences and preserving evidence from digital communications.
Detective Sergeant Babbage said the victim had shown considerable bravery throughout the investigation.
The case also highlights how online contact, including communication through social media platforms such as Snapchat, can develop into real-world exploitation.
For parents and young people, the case is another reminder of the importance of recognising potentially manipulative online behaviour and seeking help when something feels wrong.
The four defendants have now been convicted and sentenced, while the victim continues to deal with the consequences of what happened to her.
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