A former senior advisor to Barack Obama has been sentenced to 11 and a half years in jail.
Rahamim Shy, 47, was arrested in February 2024 by police in the UK after travelling to the nation with a view to assembly a nine-year-old woman for intercourse.
Shy had reportedly deliberate the assembly for round a month, talking with a person named “Debbie” who mentioned she was the kid’s grandmother, the BBC reports.
Nevertheless, the girl in query was an undercover police officer.
Throughout his trial, the court docket heard how Shy had described in grotesque element how he would abuse the woman, even though her age of 9 was a “tad late.”
Nonetheless, he insisted it might be an “honor” to be “her first.”
Upon his arrest, legislation enforcement discovered toys and condoms in his baggage, whereas his cellphone contained indecent photos of youngsters.
On Wednesday, Shy was discovered responsible at Luton Crown Court docket of arranging the fee of a kid intercourse offence and possessing indecent pictures of a kid.
He was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months in jail, though the character of Britain’s penal system signifies that he’ll probably serve round half of that point.
Breaking Information
Rahamim Shy, 47, a former advisor to @BarackObama & banker flew to Britain to rape, what he thought was a 9 yr previous woman, nevertheless it was a sting by @bedspolice. In his baggage had been cuddly toys & condoms.
He was jailed for 11.5 years.https://t.co/aJVKImPtV2 pic.twitter.com/qpLn8F7lIO
— David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) January 30, 2025
Lorraine Telford of the Crown Prosecution Service described him as “a predator who was totally ready to commit unspeakable acts towards a toddler for his personal sexual gratification.”
“It was clear from his express conversations and objects he dropped at England that he had just one intention, to commit rape towards what he knew was a susceptible youngster.”
“The very fact the kid on this case didn’t exist makes no distinction,” she added.
Shy beforehand served as a senior coverage adviser within the Obama administration, specializing in counterterrorism efforts, in addition to below then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Between 2008 and 2014, he labored inside the U.S. Treasury Division, advising the White Home on methods to fight terrorism financing from teams equivalent to Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
In 2009, Shy testified earlier than Congress on safety points in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He additionally collaborated with the NATO-led Worldwide Safety Help Power (ISAF) to finalize issues associated to terrorism and safety.