Key facts
- Waleed Saeed was sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape, blackmail, and making indecent images of children.
- Saeed targeted young men, particularly those from South Asian and Muslim backgrounds, from 2018 onwards.
- He used fake online personas to solicit intimate images and then blackmailed victims, threatening exposure.
- Police believe Saeed may have had between 70 and 90 victims, some of whom could be children.
- The investigation began in August 2024 following a report of rape and blackmail in a London park.
A sexual predator who targeted young men, predominantly from culturally conservative backgrounds, has been jailed for 16 years for a string of offenses including rape and blackmail. Waleed Saeed, 31, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on June 19, 2026, for 17 offenses against five males, two of whom were minors aged 15 and 17 at the time of the crimes.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police uncovered an extensive pattern of offending dating back to 2018. Saeed used fake online profiles, often posing as a young woman or transgender woman, to solicit intimate images from his victims. He would then reveal his identity as a man and demand hundreds of pounds, threatening to expose the images to their families, communities, universities, or workplaces.
The investigation began in August 2024 after a victim reported being raped in a London park. The victim had exchanged sexual images with someone he believed to be a transgender woman, only to be threatened by Saeed, who revealed his true identity and demanded payment. Saeed coerced the victim into three meetings where he sexually assaulted and raped him, wearing a face covering each time.
Forensic examination of mobile phones seized from Saeed upon his arrest in November 2024 revealed further intimate images linked to additional, unidentified victims. Detectives believe Saeed may have had between 70 and 90 victims in total. Some victims have not been identified due to the nature of the images recovered, which do not show faces, or the use of pseudonyms.
Detective Constable Peter Collington, who led the investigation, stated that the pattern of offending was deeply disturbing and showed a level of deliberate manipulation and cruelty. He made a direct appeal for any other victim-survivors to come forward, assuring them of compassion, sensitivity, and confidentiality. The judge, Timothy Greene, described Saeed as adept at 'turning the psychological screw' on his victims and enjoying the power he gained.