A TEACHER at a mosque has been jailed for more than three years after he was confronted by members of a paedophile hunter group when he turned up to meet a 14-year-old “decoy”.

Abu Sumel, who was said to have held a responsible position at the mosque, planned to meet up with the teenage schoolgirl in Shipley and even offered to pay for an Uber to take her to his home.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday how Sumel, who was 23 at the time of the offending in 2021, was involved in online chat with the decoy girl for more than two months before trying to meet up with her in December 2021.

Prosecutor Alisha Kaye outlined details of the messaging which included repeated demands by Sumel for the girl to send him photographs of herself.

Miss Kaye said the decoy stated at the outset that she was 14, but Sumel described her as “beautiful” and said he was “crazy for her” and wanted to see all of her body.

The defendant had initially claimed he was only 17, but later revealed his true age during the chats.

Sumel, of Upper Calton Street, Keighley, broke down in tears in the dock as Miss Kaye described his persistent behaviour towards the decoy.

“The defendant said they could have sex if they met,” said Miss Kaye.

During the exchanges, Sumel sent the decoy a photograph of a banana and a plastic penis.

Married Sumel, who had no previous convictions, was said to have only come to the UK in April 2021, but Judge Timothy Clayson said his offending had been “very persistent”.

“Offences of this sort are very serious,” he told Sumel via an Arabic interpreter.

But the judge said he had taken into account the serious health issues relating to Sumel’s wife and the genuine remorse he had expressed.

“I do believe there was an element of immaturity in your conduct notwithstanding you had a responsible job at the mosque,” said Judge Clayson.

Sumel pleaded guilty to offences of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming.

The court heard he pleaded guilty to those offences on the day his trial was listed in July.

Judge Clayson imposed a total sentence of three years and four months for the offences and told Sumel he would have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

Sumel will also have to comply with a sexual harm prevention order which will last for the next five years.