A judge has praised the Metropolitan Police Service following a challenging and complex investigation conducted by detectives to bring a dangerous predator to justice.

He has been jailed for 16 years after a Met investigation uncovered his extensive offending, in which he targeted and sexually assaulted young men.

Waleed Saeed, 31 (14.06.1995), of Azalea Close, Ilford, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 19 June where he was sentenced for 17 offences, including rape, blackmail and making indecent images of children.

Detective Constable Peter Collington, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “The pattern of offending we have uncovered is deeply disturbing and shows a level of deliberate manipulation and cruelty that has caused immense harm to innocent men, with two of them being just 15 and 17 at the time.

“We know Saeed began offending in 2018, deliberately targeting young men from south Asian and Muslim backgrounds on the impression that these victim-survivors would be less likely to contact police. As part of our investigation, we’ve wrapped dedicated support around those who have already come forward.

“Following his sentence, I am making a direct appeal to other victim-survivors who may not have had the confidence to come forward, to please contact us.

“We want to be absolutely clear that no one should ever have their sexuality exploited or weaponised against them in this way. You will be treated with compassion, sensitivity and absolute confidentiality. What has been done to you is wrong, and we will do everything in our power to support you.”

Initial arrest

The Met’s investigation began in August 2024 following reports of a rape in a London park. The victim reported that they had exchanged sexual images with someone he believed to be a transgender woman. Shortly afterwards, he received threatening messages from another account run by Saeed, revealing his true identity as a man. He demanded payment, otherwise the images would be released.

When the victim said he could not pay, Saeed demanded that they met in person in order for the images not to be released. Over the following weeks, Saeed coerced the victim into attending three separate meetings in a London park late at night where he sexually assaulted and raped the victim. He would also conceal his identity by wearing a face covering each time.

Following this report, officers swiftly launched extensive digital enquiries to identify the suspect. They secured key data from social media accounts used by the suspect to contact the victim, and after months of detailed forensic investigation, were able to trace these accounts back to Saeed.

In November 2024, Saeed was arrested and two mobile phones were seized. A forensic examination of these not only found the social media accounts used to target the victim, but also uncovered further intimate images linked to additional, unidentified victims – some of whom were believed to be children.

Saeed was subsequently charged with eight counts of rape, blackmail and threatening to share a photograph or film of a person in an intimate state on 19 November 2024. He was remanded into custody immediately.

Further investigations

Upon identifying the potential for further victims, detectives undertook extensive cross-checks of non-recent cases – where no suspect had been identified and all viable lines of enquiry exhausted – against usernames and digital identifiers linked to Saeed.

This work uncovered a series of reports dating back as far as 2018, from both within London and other areas of the UK, revealing a sinister pattern of offending. Saeed posed as a young woman or transgender woman through fake personas and requested intimate images.

He would subsequently reveal his identity and use images of the victims to exploit them for money, often threatening exposure to their families, communities, universities, workplaces and friendship groups.

This work resulted in Saeed being charged with a further nine counts related to four additional victims on 25 March 2025.

During sentencing, the judge commended the Metropolitan Police investigation, praising the meticulous work led by DC Peter Collington, which involved complex analysis of digital evidence alongside thoughtful support for the victim.

Appeal

Following his conviction and sentencing, detectives believe there could be further victim-survivors who are yet to come forward and receive support.

Investigative work showed Saeed would use multiple usernames and profiles using the platform Snapchat, with names including variations of “blsup” (such as blsup1, blsup2021) and “ComeDeal” (such as comedeal, comedealillstop). He has also used false profiles posing as transgender women or women with names such as “Trans Girl Leah” or “amzyyyy09.”

Anyone who recognises these usernames, or believes they may have been in contact with Saeed, is encouraged to come forward.

Support and reporting

If you, or someone you know, has been impacted by this case, please call 101 quoting 5335/18JUNE2026.

Please be assured that victims will have their identity protected and privacy completely respected. Victims will not be required to share details of their experiences to their family members or friends if they do not wish to.

Each borough in London also has a dedicated LGBT+ Community Liaison Officer (CLO). These are officers who understand the unique challenges faced by LGBT+ victims, including concerns around privacy and navigating the impact of such offences. They can act as a consistent point of contact, ensuring victim-survivors feel supported, listened to, and able to speak openly in a way that feels safe. Find your local CLO online via: LGBT+ community liaison officers | Metropolitan Police

Alternatively, for anyone looking for support that is independent from the police, you can contact Galop, the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity. Galop’s National Helpline is free, run by specialist LGBT+ advisors, and is open Monday-Friday. You can contact Galop by calling 0800 999 5428, emailing help@galop.org.uk, or starting a webchat at www.galop.org.uk/help.

Background

Saeed also received a 10-year Sexual Harm Protection Order (SHPO).

Saeed pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 2 March to the following charges, relating to four victims:

• Two counts of threatening to share photograph or film of person in intimate state

• Two counts of blackmail

• Two counts of making indecent photographs or a child

• One count of intimidation

• One count of distributing an indecent image of a child

• One count of disclosing or threatening to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress

On Thursday, 12 March a jury found him guilty of:

• Four counts of rape of a man aged 16 or over,

• One count of attempting to rape a man aged 16 or over,

• One count of causing a male to engage in penetrative sexual activity

• One count of threatening to share a photograph or film of a person in an intimate state,

• One count of blackmail

The trial took place at Snaresbrook Crown Court, with offences relating to the fifth victim-survivor.