'Grotesque' Leeds pervert filmed woman on toilet and discussed murdering children with other paedophiles
A twisted paedophile who discussed “grotesque” fantasies about raping and murdering children was also caught filming a woman using the toilet.
Former taxi driver Rehan Farooq tried to deny he “into that sort of stuff”, but was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week with the judge telling him he “clearly” had a sexual interest in children.
Police were tipped off about the 37-year-old’s sickening online interests and went to his home address on Alder Hill Grove, Meanwood in April.
They found indecent images of children on his phone, along with disturbing chats with other paedophiles about raping, killing and mutilating children and women.
He was arrested and later released.
But six months later, on October 3, officers went back to his home address and arrested him again, seizing a further phone, prosecutor Lea Levine told the court.
They found video footage from a hidden camera he had set up in a bathroom of a woman using the toilet and taking a shower.
Between the two devices overall, there were 204 images and videos of child abuse classified as Category A - the worst kind depicting the rape of children.
There were 84 Category B, 105 Category C, 114 extreme pornographic images involving sexual activity with animals and 22 prohibited images.
It was also found that he had had shared indecent images with like-minded paedophiles. He also shared the videos of the secretly-recorded woman.
Farooq had three interviews with police where he admitted what he had done but claimed he was taking a lot of illegal drugs at the time.
He also tried to claim he was not interested in children.
Farooq was given a suspended sentence last year after he admitted dangerous driving. He smashed into a lamppost while being chased by police, leaving its wire bare and sparking.
He has other previous convictions for driving matters.
Appearing in court over a video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, he admitted two counts of voyeurism and sharing a photograph or film of person in intimate state without consent.
He also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, possessing prohibited images of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images.
Mitigating, Lily Wildman said that Farooq was “genuinely remorseful” and he claimed he would never repeat his offending.
She reiterated his stance that he was addicted to drugs at the time.
But Judge Andrew Stubbs KC said his drug use could not hide his clear interests.
He said: “You took the deliberate choice to look for, download and distribute the most serious kind of indecent images of children.
“You shared the most grotesque of fantasies including the rape and mutilation of children.
“You can’t confront your own sexual addiction to children. You did not find these by accident, you sought them out.
“It was for your own perverted sexual gratification. This behaviour is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
He jailed Farooq for 40 months, put him on the sex offender register for life and gave him a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to curb his internet use.