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A “holy man” may have convinced 100 women to sleep with him, saying he would cast spells in return for sexual favours, one of his alleged victims has claimed.
The woman, a university lecturer and mother, said she agreed to have sex with Syed Shah, 29, and handed over £5 400 after he promised to save her marriage.
The 28-year-old, who has asked not to be named, claimed Shah told her the intimate sessions were necessary to strengthen the spiritual bond between them.
She decided to speak out after Shah was jailed earlier this month for sexually assaulting another woman during a healing session.
Prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, Claire Nicholls said Shah had promoted himself as a holy man and garnered the trust of the community.
She said: “He breached this trust and preyed on a vulnerable victim who he assaulted for his personal sexual gratification.”
Shah, from Stechford, Birmingham, was jailed for two years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register after pleading guilty to sexual assault charges.
A senior police officer said after the case that he was a “very dangerous sexual predator”.
After the sentencing, the unnamed mother broke her silence to tell of how Shah had convinced her to have sex with him in return for his help.
She said she feared Shah had conned more than 100 victims after he showed her dozens of images on his phone of women he had bedded claiming they had come to him “for help”.
At first, he told her to read a prayer 500 times a day for two weeks to save her marriage.
Then he advised her to burn pieces of paper when she went to him in June.
But she claimed that when things failed to improve, Shah said the only way he would truly be able to help her was if they embarked on a sexual relationship.
The woman said she had been an unlikely victim but had followed Shah’s advice in a desperate bid to save her marriage. Describing how she was duped, the woman said: “I go clubbing. I have a good social life. I have never used a holy man before. I have been gullible.
“The sex was very, very difficult because I was not physically attracted to him. He was recommended by the friend of a friend. I don’t know why I did what I did - I could have got help from my local mosque.”
Describing one visit to Shah’s house, she said there had been five women waiting to see him and most had emerged holding an “orange liquid”.
Shah often gave her potions which he claimed would help with the healing process, she said.
Once the woman had managed to rebuild her marriage, Shah told her that unless she continued the sex sessions it would break down again.
The woman has now said she plans to go to police with the allegations, adding: “He took advantage of the situation. He’s a fraud. I have been so stupid.”
Daily Mail
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