A Minnesota man, Qalinle Dirie, 42, has been handed a 12-year prison sentence for the kidnap and sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. The incident took place in Minneapolis in June 2024, and Dirie was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in May. Despite this being his first offense, Dirie maintains his innocence, as per court documents.
The young victim reported that she had often seen Dirie driving past her residence in a white, four-door Toyota. The assault took place when the girl was playing in her backyard. Dirie approached her, inquiring if her mother was at home. After she replied in the negative, he left, only to return after a short while. He then forcefully abducted her into his car and sexually assaulted her.
The girl managed to break free and ran back to her home, where she hid in the bathroom for a while. She later confided in her school counselor about the incident, which led to a sexual assault examination at the Hennepin County Medical Center.
A month after the incident, a family member found missed calls from a “Mohamed Muuse” on the victim’s phone, suspected to be Dirie. The girl’s older brother began communicating with the caller via Snapchat and even responded to one of Dirie’s calls. In an attempt to confront him, the brother invited Dirie to their home, pretending to be the victim.
Upon his arrival, Dirie tried to escape when he saw the brother and the victim’s step-father waiting for him. The police were alerted, and Dirie was arrested. Initially, he denied knowing the victim but later claimed she had told him she was 19 years old.
During the sentencing, Hennepin County prosecutors criticized Dirie for showing no remorse or understanding of the harm he had inflicted on the victim. They also pointed out his refusal to admit his harmful behavior, suggesting he was not a suitable candidate for individualized sex offender treatment.
Dirie and his defense attorney tried to appeal for leniency from the court by having family members, including his father, submit statements. However, none of these statements acknowledged the victim or the crime, leading prosecutors to suggest that the family was either unaware of Dirie’s conviction or dismissive of his crime.