Iraqi man, 33, appears in court accused of raping boy, 14, in an alleyway in Portsmouth and stalking a woman
An Iraqi man has appeared in court accused of raping a 14-year-old boy in an alleyway in Portsmouth, as well as stalking a woman in her twenties. Sadiq Farhad Azad, 33, of no fixed abode, is alleged to have spoken to the boy, whom he did not know, on a bus before following him and attacking him. The case highlights concerns raised by prosecutors about what they described as "particularly dangerous behaviour" linked to both the alleged sexual offence and the stalking charge.
Police were told on 11 August that the boy had been raped between 7pm and 8pm by a man he had met on a bus, with the alleged attack reported to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary five days later. During the investigation, a woman in her twenties came forward on 1 September alleging she had been stalked for a year and that a family member's car had been damaged. Azad has been charged with rape of a child aged 13 to 15, stalking and criminal damage under £5,000, and appeared before Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, where Judge Anthony Callaway sent all three matters to Portsmouth Crown Court. No bail application was made, and Azad remains in custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on 5 October 2026.
- Man, 33, charged with raping boy, 14, in Portsmouth alleyway
- Also accused of stalking a woman and damaging a car
- Case sent to Crown Court; defendant remanded in custody
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Sadiq Farhad Azad, 33, has been charged with raping a 14-year-old boy in an alleyway in Portsmouth and with stalking a woman in her twenties. He is alleged to have approached the boy, a stranger, on a bus before following and attacking him; separately, a woman came forward saying she had been stalked for a year and that a relative's car had been damaged.
The case began when police were contacted in August after the alleged attack on the boy, and a second alleged victim, the woman, reported the stalking claims during the subsequent investigation. Azad, who has no fixed address, faces three charges in total: rape of a child, stalking, and criminal damage.
The case matters because it involves serious allegations against a child and an adult victim, and because prosecutors have described the alleged conduct as presenting a particular danger to the public. It has now moved from a magistrates' court to Portsmouth Crown Court, where the full legal process, including a plea, will take place; no findings of guilt have yet been made, and Azad remains in custody.