British lawmaker guilty of sexually assaulting boy

Imran Ahmad Khan, 48, had denied the allegation but was convicted act that took place in 2008

LONDON:

A British lawmaker from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative party was found guilty on Monday of sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy after trying to force him to drink alcohol before assaulting him.

Imran Ahmad Khan, 48, who represents the Wakefield area in northern England, had denied the allegation but was convicted of assaulting the boy at a house in 2008.

The victim decided not to proceed with a complaint at the time, but when Ahmad Khan was elected to parliament in 2019, he pursued the case.

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"In subsequent interviews with the police he was able to tell investigators more about what had taken place and I am pleased that the jury have accepted the victim’s compelling evidence about the offence committed by Khan," said Rosemary Ainslie from Britain's Crown Prosecution Service.

Ahmad Khan had been suspended by the Conservatives pending the outcome of the trial.

His conviction could trigger an election for his parliamentary seat, which he captured from the opposition Labour Party in 2019, as anyone who receives a jail sentence of more than 12 months is automatically disqualified from being a member of parliament.

Labour said he should resign immediately.