Man Abducts Girl from Yard, Sexually Assaults Her -- Before Her Brother Set a Trap

42-year-old Qalinle Dirie was sentenced last week after he was convicted of first-degree sexual criminal conduct in May for the June 2024 attack on a young girl in Minneapolis, according to Law&Crime.

In the sentencing docs, the Hennepin County Attorney claims Dirie "continues to deny that he committed the sexual assault," a move prosecutors said proves he "lacks any remorse for his actions."

Prosecutors also claimed, in a sentencing memorandum, that Dirie "still blames the Victims’ mother, claiming she is behind everything."

The investigation began on June 10, 2024, when officers responded to the Hennepin County Medical Center regarding a criminal sexual conduct report. Per the criminal complaint, a victim reported a sexual assault to a school counselor.

During an interview with authorities at a children's advocacy center, the girl said she was playing in her backyard when a man she'd seen "driving past her house often" stopped his vehicle in the alley behind the house, "got out to talk to her and asked if her mom was home."

After she said no, she told police he "put his hand over her mouth and picked her body up with his other hand," forcing her into his car and "striking her in the head, which caused her to feel dizzy and disoriented."

She said he pulled over a few blocks from the home and sexually assaulted her in the backseat. She said "the man ejaculated onto her chest, which she wiped up with her shirt," bringing the shirt with her to the advocacy center. She added that she was able to get out of the car and run home.

More than a month later, on July 29, 2024, a man identified as the victim's older brother looked at her phone and allegedly saw "multiple calls" from someone named "Mohamed Muuse," per the complaint. When asked whose calls she was ignoring, the victim said it was the man who sexually assaulted her.

The brother allegedly answered one of the calls, but didn't speak, and heard the person on the other line say, "Hey beautiful! I miss you! When can I see you again?"

The sibling then began texting with "Muuse" through Snapchat, "pretending to be the victim," per the docs. In the conversation, "Muuse" allegedly "made reference to bringing condoms," before the brother sent him their home address -- telling police he did so "because he wanted to identity the male."

When the man arrived, he allegedly walked onto the porch, saw the victim's brother and step-father and "tried to flee." The brother, however, blocked the doorway while someone called 911. Police later identified the man as Dirie, who allegedly told police he "never met her," before claiming, "She told me she is 19 years old. I don't know why."

The suspect's family and friends all sent in letters of support before sentencing, with Dirie's father calling him a "devoted father to his four sons" who has "been a pillar in our family."

"Since his arrest, our family has been in deep distress," added his father.

Dirie's brother, in his own note, said it was "deeply difficult for me to reconcile the current circumstances with the person I have known all my life," adding, "Although he made a profound and incomprehensible mistake, Qalinle has consistently shown integrity, compassion, and thoughtfulness in his interactions."

The mother of his children wrote a letter as well, saying their three children -- aged 11, 9 and 7 -- "have never known a time without their father, and his absence has been deeply felt."

Prosecutors addressed the letters in their sentencing memorandum, saying the notes "do not acknowledge his actions, the impact they had on the Victim, or recognize his wrongdoing."

"The statements show that either Defendant has not told them what he was convicted of, or that they are dismissive of his crime," they continued. "Family members are focused on the impact this has had on him and the family; none of them acknowledge the Victim and her family."

If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline -- 800.656.HOPE (4673) -- provides free, 24/7 support for those in need.