A Dallas Imam and a Woman Sentenced to 80 and 70 Years in Federal Child Exploitation Case
By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
Dallas: In an official press release, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in coordination with the United States Department of Justice, announced that two men have been sentenced to 80 and 70 years in federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy involving the sexual exploitation of a child. The sentences were imposed by a federal court after prosecutors established charges related to child sexual exploitation, the production and distribution of child pornography, and criminal conspiracy.
According to the FBI’s press release, Wisam Sharieff, 44, of Euless, Texas, who used the title of imam and operated as an online instructor specializing in Quran recitation, was sentenced to 960 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay a 135,000 dollar special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. Sharieff pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy to engage in the sexual exploitation of children and multiple child pornography related offenses.
The press release further stated that Sharieff’s co defendant, Blake Miller Barakat, also known as Hamna, 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, was sentenced to 840 months in prison, also followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Barakat was ordered to pay a 30,000 dollar special assessment. He pleaded guilty in June 2025 to sexual exploitation of children as well as the possession and distribution of child pornography.
The FBI said Sharieff exploited a religious title to manipulate his online student, Barakat, promoting the false and deeply troubling belief that sexual gratification could bring an individual closer to God. Court documents cited in the press release state that in October 2024, the two men repeatedly viewed and shared adult pornography online before coercing a seven year old child to watch the videos. The child was then forced to engage in sexually explicit acts for the purpose of producing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona described the crimes as among the most reprehensible offenses against society, emphasizing that federal authorities will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who target children. The FBI Birmingham Division reaffirmed its commitment to protecting children and holding offenders accountable.
The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice that coordinates federal, state, and local resources to combat the online sexual exploitation of children and to identify and assist victims.
