Man Jailed for Child Sex Offences After Being Tracked Down in Canada

Mohammed Schwitters, from Birmingham, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing a child over a period of seven years. The abuse started when the girl was just 10 years old and continued between 2010 and 2017.

Schwitters, aged 55, was arrested in 2017 after the offences were reported to the police. However, he fled the country during the investigation. Police from the Public Protection Unit worked tirelessly for three years to track him down.

On September 1, 2020, officers, working with Canadian authorities, traced Schwitters' mobile phone number and bank accounts to a mechanics workshop in Toronto. He was extradited back to the UK and appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on December 10, 2021, where he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault on a child, three counts of attempted rape, and three counts of assault by penetration.

This week, on Friday, March 4, Schwitters was sentenced to 18 years in prison and will remain on the Sex Offender Register for life.

Detective Constable Kat Sands said, "This case highlights our commitment to taking reports of sexual abuse seriously. We will work with survivors, provide them with the support they need, and relentlessly pursue justice for them. It is never too late to report sexual abuse, and we will leave no stone unturned to get justice. While this sentence cannot undo what happened, I hope the victim will find some comfort in knowing justice has been served."