Two men are heading to federal prison for the rest of their lives following a disturbing case of child exploitation that spanned from Texas to Alabama. Wisam Sharieff, 44, a well-known online Quran instructor from Euless, Texas, was handed an 80-year sentence this past Thursday by U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco.
His co-defendant, 50-year-old Blake Miller Barakat of Shelby County, Alabama, received a 70-year sentence late last year for his involvement in the same conspiracy.
The details revealed in court are particularly jarring because of the breach of trust involved. Sharieff, who used the title of Imam and claimed to have taught tens of thousands of students globally, reportedly used his position of authority to manipulate Barakat, one of his online pupils.
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Prosecutors say Sharieff convinced Barakat that sexual pleasure could actually improve a person’s religious recitation and bring them closer to God. This twisted logic led the pair to share adult content before eventually targeting a seven-year-old child.
According to investigators, the two men didn’t just share explicit material with each other; they forced the young child to watch the videos and then coerced the victim into performing sexually explicit acts to produce new material. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona didn’t hold back in his assessment of the case, calling the crimes “among the most appalling” society faces and vowing that law enforcement will continue to hunt down those who target children.
The investigation was a massive group effort involving FBI task forces in both Birmingham and Dallas, along with local police from Euless and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Both men pleaded guilty to their charges last summer, and in addition to their massive prison terms, they have been ordered to pay tens of thousands of dollars in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. Once they eventually finish their sentences, both Sharieff and Barakat will remain under supervised release for the rest of their lives.
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