Yemen asylum seeker caught with ‘grotesque’ videos including bestiality footage receives suspended sentence despite new government crackdown
A migrant caught with vile child abuse videos on his phone gave a thumbs up outside court after being spared jail and deportation.
Osamah Al-Haddad was caught with three ‘grotesque’ videos when he arrived at Heathrow airport from Cairo, Egypt, in January 2024.
Immigration officers uncovered the material, including ‘depraved’ footage of a man having sex with a goat, when they searched his mobile during asylum screening. The Yemen native, 26, originally came to the UK on a student visa, then claimed asylum after insisting the Houthis were seeking out his father.
Pressure to Join Houthi Army
He was also under pressure by the Houthis to join their army and claimed he is not able to return to Yemen because “of his fear of repercussions [for] refusing to fight,” Isleworth Crown Court heard.
Al-Haddad, of no fixed address, admitted three counts of making indecent photos of children and one count of making a pseudo-photograph of a child.
He claimed to have no sexual interest in children and that the images were sent to him by a friend on WhatsApp.
Al-Haddad was sentenced to 30 weeks, suspended for a year, and was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years. He was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Government’s Deportation Policy
Last April, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had set out plans to ban foreign sex offenders from gaining asylum in the UK, but any offender would have to be sentenced to more than a year in prison.
Under current rules, the UK Borders Act 2007 requires that a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months. This is subject to several exceptions, including where it would breach the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention.
The government announced in April 2025 that foreign nationals who commit sex offences will be excluded from asylum protections under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. For the first time, any conviction of a crime that qualifies a foreign national for the sex offenders register will lead to them being denied refugee status.
Working in Plymouth Restaurant
Isleworth Crown Court heard how Al-Haddad’s asylum application was pending, but he is allowed to live and work in Plymouth, Devon.
“Although the defendant entered the country as an asylum seeker, he is now working in a restaurant,” said defence barrister John Hunter.
“He receives a monthly income of around £781 a month. He gives most to his wife and child back in Yemen, and he hopes to bring them to this country to live with him.”
Judge’s Sentencing Remarks
Al-Haddad was assisted by an Arabic interpreter as Judge Fiona Barrie told him: “You are 26 years of age, and you pleaded guilty to all offences.
“The category A video involves an act of bestiality which is grotesque and is depraved.
“You should do well to remember that this is a real child who has experienced this abuse, and those are significant aggravating factors.
“You claim you have no sexual interest in children and received the images from a WhatsApp group. But I share the concerns of the pre-sentence report which state that you are not entirely honest about that.
“You have had those videos saved since August 2021, in your possession to view and certainly not deleted by you.”
Thumbs Up Outside Court
In footage filmed by a passerby after sentencing, Al-Haddad can be seen denying any knowledge of the images’ source as he tries to rush away following the verdict.
He can be heard saying: “I don’t know. I explained them (the court) everything (sic)” before giving the filmer a thumbs up as he walks away.
Sentencing Guidelines for Indecent Images
Under UK law, indecent images of children are classified into three categories. Category A images, which involve penetrative sexual activity, sadism, or bestiality, carry the most severe penalties with a starting point of 12 months custody and a range of 26 weeks to three years.
The maximum sentence for possession of indecent images under section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 is five years imprisonment. Making indecent images carries a maximum of 10 years.
Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPOs) can be imposed for a minimum of five years and prohibit offenders from activities such as using internet-enabled devices without monitoring software or deleting internet history.
Deportation Challenges
The case highlights ongoing challenges with the UK’s deportation system. According to the House of Commons Library, there were 11,800 people liable to deportation who had been released into the community after completing their sentence as of September 2023 – roughly double the figure from five years earlier.
Since July 2024, the Home Office has removed 3,594 foreign criminals from the UK – a 16% increase on the same period 12 months prior. However, human rights laws, particularly Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights protecting the right to family life, can still present obstacles to deportation.
The government’s recent announcement to exclude sex offenders from asylum protections will only apply to future cases and those who receive sentences that place them on the sex offenders register – Al-Haddad’s suspended sentence means he may not be affected by the new rules.
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