This story contains content warnings. It discusses childhood sexual abuse. You will hear directly from the boys who reported their abuse to police. We won’t go into graphic details of their abuse. But if you don’t want to read about it right now, please be aware.
Five boys came to police with a similar secret: a youth program volunteer at their mosque in Tampa had touched them inappropriately.
“As a child, I remember being terrified. What the hell is going on? You know what I’m talking about?” A young man identified as Victim 5 by Pinellas Park Police told detectives early in 2021.
10 Investigates reports for the first time on the recordings that the boys made to the police about Ehab Goneim.
“And he asked, ‘Are we ever going to discuss it? Detectives were told by a victim identified as Victim 4 that they would never talk about the incident again.
The boys found strength in eachother and stopped being silent.
Victim 5 stated in a police recording: “Yeah this man needs stopping.”
“And what kills the most is that everyone described it in the same way. These stories are now being spread. Everyone described it in the same way. “I’m the only one who hasn’t talked about it,” said a young victim identified by police.
When 10 Investigates received these police recordings via a public records request made to the State Attorney’s Office we didn’t know if we would ever report on them.
As we listened to these boys open up to the police over hours, we realized that there is a lot we can learn about recognizing grooming behavior and coming forward with abuse.
By sharing their stories these boys can help other children avoid the same fate.
“When [another] boy was telling me about his story, I thought, yeah, he, you, know, has done something to me too,” a teenager identified as Victim 3 said during his recorded interview with Pinellas Park Police.
The mosque was aware of the reports about inappropriate contact for many years.
The Islamic Society was informed of the allegations in 2017.
Let’s catch you up if you haven’t read our investigation on Ghoneim from May 2022 or just want to refresh your memory.
Before Ghoneim was arrested in August 2021, he volunteered with the youth program of the Islamic Society of the Tampa Bay Area (ISTABA), also known as ISTABA.
Early in 2021, police received reports from boys that Ghoneim had sexually abused the during sleepovers and overnight trips to events such as Islamic youth conventions.
10 Investigates revealed in May 2022 that, years prior to Ghoneim’s arrest, ISTABA’s leadership had been informed in 2017 and 2020 that Ghoneim was accused of having inappropriate contact with boys while he lived in New Jersey.
ISTABA Administrator Mohamed Aqqad stated that he did not trust the former employee, who raised the concerns repeatedly. Since he was unable to prove that the accusations were true the mosque allowed Ghoneim, to continue volunteering with children.
Aqqad approached us while 10 Investigates was outside ISTABA in April 2022 recording video.
Jenna Bourne, a reporter for 10 Investigates, said: “If there had been accusations in 2017, even if they were investigated and you couldn’t find any evidence…
“Right,” Aqqad replied.
Jenna asked: “–Don’t you think there was some sort of responsibility to keep him away from children just in case?”
“The accusation came from someone who was supposed to replace this man, so he was motivated,” Aqqad stated. “There is no story.”
In a civil suit filed by one of the boys, ISTABA, Ghoneim, and its two imams are all named. All of them have filed responses in which they deny any wrongdoing.
Ghoneim pleads guilty
He accepted a plea bargain on all four charges.
Ghoneim’s trial, scheduled to begin on February 13, never took place.
Ghoneim, who had been out on bond for nearly a year and a half, was booked in Pinellas County Jail after taking a plea bargain on all charges.
These charges only relate to accusations made during sleepovers in his Pinellas Park home.
He agreed to serve 8 years in prison, followed by 2 years of probation.
He will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
It’s been a long time for the boys who have survived his abuse.
They have been reporting to police for two years.
Red Flags spotted
“Everyone said the same thing.”
In the recordings of their interview with Pinellas Park Police, dating from early 2021 all five said that Ghoneim had touched them inappropriately while he believed they were sleeping.
“Everyone said the same thing.” [Another child] said the exact same thing. Apparently, they claimed that this other child said the same thing, ‘It’s like a nightmare,'” Victim 2 stated during his interview with detectives.
Some of the boys claimed that Ghoneim had given them pills before.
“He was telling us this pill is really expensive. It’s from my doctor, and it costs $400 or $1,000. Victim 4 told police that the pill “helps you sleep and boosts your immune system and stuff”. “I felt as if I was hallucinating, and other stuff.” I don’t really know what drugs feel like. I don’t even know if you are high or not. It felt like the bed, like, moved around and stuff like this.”
“I was seeing things.” “I would, like — I couldn’t stand up straight,” Victim 3 said to police.
The boys told the police that they had noticed strange touchings before the abuse. They said Ghoneim would pinch boys on their thighs while swimming or encourage to sit on his lap.
Dr. Howard Rogers, Medical Director of USF Health’s Child Protection Team, told 10 Investigates that grooming is a situation where a child would be subtly introduced to things with a sexual nature over a period.
This team treats children who have survived emotional, physical and sexual abuse. It is located in Hardee County, Highlands County, Hillsborough County, and Polk county.
Rogers is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at USF Health.
“Red Flags in the area grooming would begin with something very subtle – requests for trips alone. An adult may ask to spend time alone with a child. Rogers said that initially, it could be a simple trip to the store for ice cream, and there may not be anything unusual or wrong. “Touching the shoulder or arm or something similar.” It’s just a way for a perpetrator, an alleged perpetrator, to be able break down a barrier that would otherwise be up for the child.
Dr. Randy Alexander, a child abuse pediatrician, was asked by 10 Investigates to listen to the Pinellas Park Police recordings.
Alexander explained that predators can sometimes use their status as trusted members of a community to gain entry to children.
“Well, they will be attracted where the children are.” Then there are the school systems. It’s youth-serving organisations…and, ofcourse, religious organizations too,” Dr. Alexander stated. “If they are able to get to the kids and establish trust, it is essentially just access to their prey.”
Alexander said that secrecy was a red-flag, and that it would probably start small before it escalates.
“It can be trivial things, like don’t tell anyone that I bought you milkshakes or that I gave $5 to you, or something like that.” You’re trying, if the perpetrator is you, to establish the idea that we’re going have secrets between us,” said he.
These red flags may sound familiar to you.
What could we do?
What should you do if you find yourself in this situation? If these red flags sound like someone you know, what should you do?
The boys in the Pinellas Park Police recordings said that they began confiding in one another and trying to figure out what their next move would be.
“I told [another] boy some stuff — about the pills and stuff.” He was like ‘Oh, my God, this is impossible.’ He told detectives that it happened to other people — literally, almost exactly the same thing,” Victim 4 said.
Victim 3: “I just didn’t know how to, I don’t know, come out and say it.” “So, you’re right, we just talked about it among ourselves.” We used to always think, “What could we do?”
They finally came forward to an adult they trusted, who then called the police.
Alexander says that is exactly what should happen.
“Find someone who you won’t be afraid to tell. Yes, it’s going to create a stir. It will also create a stir if it persists. Alexander asked, “In 10 years, what will you regret having done?”
10 Investigates spoke to one of the young males who came forward after Ghoneim’s arrest.
He said that the detective pointed out grooming behavior when he shared his story.
“I know what it is. We’re not stupid. Oh, don’t speak to strangers. ‘Stranger danger’, the buddy system or whatever. Don’t go if someone says, “I have candy.” Common sense. “But it’s only the fact that he put his self into the community,” said a young man during his police interview.
In the recording, a detective is heard telling him “That’s a part of the grooming procedure.”
“Like, that, I didn’t think, like, I would never have thought, like – I always assumed it would be a complete stranger. Not someone who is supposed to be just – oh, you know, someone kind of there. It’s someone that you know,” he responded.
The young man, who spoke to 10 Investigates compared his conversation with the detective with being sick for a while and finally speaking to a doctor that knows exactly what is wrong with you.
He said that Islam teaches him forgiveness and mercy, but he wants to know why Ghoneim did this.
Ghoneim declined 10 Investigates’ invitation to interview him while he was in jail. We’ll let him know if his decision changes.
