Mohamed Faliq Mohamed Ismail

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The Respondent, a solicitor admitted in 2013 and employed at NatWest Bank, was convicted on 18 August 2020 at Westminster Magistrates' Court of three counts of making indecent photographs of children (Categories A, B and C) and three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children. He possessed over 15,000 indecent images/videos and distributed material over a three-week period. On 29 October 2020 he was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to 16 months' custody suspended for 18 months, made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 5 years and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. The Tribunal, dealing with the matter on the papers by way of Agreed Outcome, found the convictions breached Principles 2 and 6 of the SRA Principles 2011. The Tribunal found high/exclusive culpability (sexually motivated, planned, repeated over 17 months) and grave harm, and that the misconduct was the most serious departure from professional standards. He was struck off the Roll and ordered to pay costs of £2,082.

Duties found breached:

• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank

Aggravating factors:

• Six criminal convictions for extremely serious sexual offences against children
• Conduct was deliberate, calculated and repeated over a significant period (some 17 months)
• Possession of over 15,000 indecent images and videos
• Distribution of material to like-minded individuals
• Respondent knew his conduct was a fundamental breach of duty to protect the public and the reputation of the profession

Mitigating factors:

• No previous disciplinary proceedings recorded
• Accepted guilt from the outset in both criminal and Tribunal proceedings
• Made full and frank admissions on arrest
• Voluntarily sought and committed to psychosexual rehabilitative therapy (over 60 sessions)
• Showed remorse, noted by the sentencing judge
• Person of positively good character