Imam accused of sexual battery on a boy

Tampa police arrested an imam and accused the Muslim prayer leader of sexually battering a 13-year-old boy who was at a Tampa mosque for early prayer.

Police said the boy was staying at the mosque overnight on Saturday for early morning prayer. At about 6 a.m., police said he was assaulted by an imam who was living at the Masjid Omar Al Mokhtar mosque, which is located at 1307 W North B Street.

Police received an emergency call Sunday afternoon reporting the crime and responded to Tampa General Hospital, where the victim was treated, police spokeswoman Andrea Davis. They then went to the mosque Sunday night and made an arrest.

Yasser Mohamed Shahade (left), 35, was held without bail in the Orient Road Jail on a charge of sexual battery on a 13-year-old. Jail records list his occupation as minister. Police said he is from Egypt and has lived at the mosque for the past two months.

"Obviously a person is innocent until proven guilty," said Ramzy Kilic, executive director for the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "But if this person is convicted of this crime, he should be punished. Crime is crime, and law is law."

Justin George, Times staff writer

[Photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office]

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Comments

[knowitall]

Can you say set up? This smells fishy.

[whyman]

This is the one time I will not b**ch about the government stepping in. Freedom to practice religion so long as it doesn't brake our laws.