Community Announcement: FACE welcomes conclusion of molestation case in Denton County

For Immediate Distribution

Denton County, Texas, USA (August 16, 2022) - Facing Abuse in Community Environments (FACE) welcomes the conclusion of the molestation case in Denton County, relieved that the survivor finally feels a sense of closure.

In May 2020, FACE received an allegation report by a 16-year-old boy’s father alleging that their local masjid youth group leader, Muneeb ur Rehman Ahmad, had molested his son, hereinafter “John Doe”, while he was between the ages of 14-16. The allegations were brought to both Collin and Denton County detectives, and FACE. FACE published our findings on April 10, 2021 and assisted John Doe and his family as they went through the gruesome process of the criminal legal system.

On August 5, 2022, John Doe’s family received some closure at the Denton County pre-trial hearing, which concluded with Ahmad pleading guilty and taking a 6.5 year plea deal.

John Doe said in a statement:

“I am still healing and recovering, but it feels as if a burden has been lifted off of me. As hard as it was, I was ready to take on the pain because I knew it had to be done for those children whose voices are unheard. Fighting for justice and most importantly, standing up for myself took plenty of courage, but the result was worth it. After two long, painful years, I can finally rest knowing that this part of my journey is complete.”

FACE Executive Director, Alia Salem, said in a statement:

“There are no winners in a situation like this and the outcome inspires no joy. Justice for the survivor doesn’t hinge on imprisonment or offender registries; these avenues are simply a means of harm reduction. More importantly, on behalf of the FACE team, I would like to extol our sincere admiration for the survivor and his family. It is incredibly uplifting to witness an entire family surround a survivor with such steadfast love and support. It is my firm belief that if more people centered survivors of abuse, their healing process would not feel so overwhelming.”

If you need to report abuse by a religious/community leader, please submit an allegation at www.facetogether.org/report. If you have questions or concerns regarding this case, call/text us at (844) 360-2489 or email us at info@facetogether.org