A Muslim cleric, once decorated by Buckingham Palace, is facing jail after being convicted of 'preying on' and 'abusing' two boys at his mosque. Mohammed Hanif Khan, 42, one of Britain's most influential imams, became the first ever full-time Islamic minister in the history of the British prison service in 2001.
Highly respected, in 2004 he visited the Palace to receive a Butlers' Trust Award from Princess Anne for his work in diversity. Under his grand title of Sheik Mohammed Hanif Haqqani Kareemi he led prayers and gave Islamic education to boys.
But a two-week long trial at Nottingham Crown Court heard Hanif Khan used his position of power at the mosque in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, to terrify, intimidate and abuse the two young boys in 2009 - then aged 12 and 15.
After three days of deliberation a jury found him guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child. He was remanded in custody for sentencing at a later date.
During the trial - which has prompted high emotion in the local community - prosecutor Tariq Shakor Khan explained how both boys kept their abuse secret from one another, each believing they were the Imam's only victims.
Mr Khan said the youngest boy was raped outside the mosque by some bins after being asked to take the rubbish out.
The boy told officers that at first the imam was stern like a schoolteacher, but gradually he began talking to him 'nicely'.
But play fights soon turned sexual and Hanif Khan allegedly raped the boy repeatedly over a two-month period in one of the mosque's room.
He said the sex attacks happened after formal prayers with others from the congregation when Hanif Khan would ask the boy to go into the private committee room and lay out his prayer mat.
After the last attack in October 2009 the youngest boy claimed Hanif Khan told him he was going to take him somewhere else and 'do it to him specially'. The following day he told a friend and was advised to inform his parents.
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