A Missouri man will spend the rest of his life in prison after receiving a 291-year sentence for luring and raping several women he met on dating applications.
Yahya Maly was sentenced on Tuesday, June 16, following an April conviction by a St. Louis jury. According to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, Maly was found guilty on 17 total counts, including rape and sodomy.
The criminal investigation began in February 2025 when authorities initially charged Maly. St. Louis County police stated that Maly forcibly raped multiple women between March 2023 and March 2024. Following his initial arrest, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment to add more charges, including a rape count from an incident in February 2025.
During the proceedings, prosecutors revealed that Maly intentionally exploited the religious beliefs of his victims. Several of the women met Maly on a specific Muslim dating website that required its users to agree to abstinence.
Court testimony highlighted the methods Maly used to disorient his victims. One Muslim woman, who met him on a different website, testified that Maly removed her hijab without her permission before raping her. He then told her that they were legally married.
“I was confused,” she testified. “This felt like the weirdest misunderstanding ever.”
Victims also shared the long-term psychological impact of Maly’s actions during the court proceedings. The trauma has altered the lives of those he targeted, affecting their mental health and future plans.
“It’s caused PTSD,” another victim stated in court. “Me going to counseling, me taking medication, me being depressed and also possibly not finding a husband or not even creating a family for myself.”
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