Junior Rasmussen
In March 2019, a 17-year-old girl came forward with allegations of sexual assault and child marriage at a mosque in Philadelphia. In a Facebook video, the girl, who was 14 at the time of her marriage, claimed that she was married to a man over twice her age, who then began sexually assaulting her and her 10-year-old sister. The man, Rajmann Sanders, has been charged with multiple offenses, including rape and indecent assault. The police are investigating the Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque, where the girl says her unofficial marriage took place, and the home of a mosque leader. This has brought attention to the potential issue of child weddings and abuse in mosques, with some claiming that it is not limited to a single mosque or individual.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Mosque | Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo |
| Address | 4800 block of Paschall Avenue in Kingsessing |
| Victims | Girls as young as 10 |
| Suspects | Rajmann Sanders, mosque leaders |
| Status | Investigation ongoing, victims in protective custody |
| Year | 2016 |
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What You'll Learn
Police investigation into child weddings at Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque
In March 2019, police began investigating whether child weddings were being conducted at the Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque in Philadelphia. This was after a 17-year-old girl came forward to Action News, claiming that she had been forced into a marriage at the mosque when she was 14 years old. The girl, who did not want to be named, said she had been married to Rajmann Sanders, a man more than twice her age. She claimed that Sanders had then begun to sexually assault her and her 10-year-old sister.
In a Facebook video posted two weeks prior to the investigation, the girl described her ordeal:
> "At the time I was a virgin. It was going to be my first marriage, of course. [...] The 10-year-old was not handled correctly and everything was swept under the rug. Not only was it wrong, it was wrong to me because at the time I was still his wife."
Following the video's upload, police conducted searches at the mosque and the home of one of its leaders. The girl's allegations also prompted another woman to come forward, who claimed that her illegal marriage had also taken place at the mosque. The investigation is ongoing, and the victims are now in the protective custody of the Department of Human Services.
Sanders has been charged with more than a dozen sexual offenses, including rape and indecent assault, and remains behind bars.
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Sexual assault allegations against Rajmann Sanders
In 2019, police investigated whether child weddings were being conducted at the Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque in Philadelphia. The investigation was prompted by a sexual assault allegation made by a 17-year-old girl who claimed that, at the age of 14, she was married to 30-year-old Rajmann Sanders at the mosque.
In a Facebook video, the girl, whose name has not been released, described her ordeal. She said that after the marriage, Sanders began sexually assaulting her and her 10-year-old sister. "The 10-year-old was not handled correctly and everything was swept under the rug. Not only was it wrong, it was wrong to me because at the time I was still his wife," she said.
Sanders has been charged with more than a dozen sexual offenses against the girls, including rape, indecent assault, and forcible compulsion. He remains behind bars, and the investigation is ongoing. The victims are now in the protective custody of the Department of Human Services.
This case has brought to light the issue of child brides and sexual assault in religious communities. It is unclear if the mosque leaders were aware of the alleged assaults or if they were complicit in covering them up. The police have conducted search warrants at the mosque and the home of one of its leaders.
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Victim's Facebook video sparks investigation
In March 2019, a 17-year-old girl posted a Facebook video alleging that she was first married off as a child bride at 14 at the Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque in Philadelphia. In the video, the girl, who is now in the protective custody of the Department of Human Services, describes her ordeal:
> "At the time I was a virgin. It was going to be my first marriage, of course."
She says her first marriage did not last, and in 2016, she was married off again to Rajmann Sanders, a man more than twice her age. She alleges that Sanders then began sexually assaulting her and her 10-year-old sister:
> "The 10-year-old was not handled correctly and everything was swept under the rug. Not only was it wrong, it was wrong to me because at the time I was still his wife."
The girl's Facebook video sparked a police investigation into whether child weddings are being conducted at the mosque. Police conducted search warrants at the mosque and the home of a mosque leader, and the imam's direct involvement in scheduling and officiating the marriages for years has been confirmed. The victim says she is coming forward to warn others:
> "This is not healthy for me or my kids. No one should want their kids around this, especially with the pedophilia, that should be enough to say no I don't want my kids around this."
Sanders has been charged with more than a dozen offenses, including rape and indecent assault, and remains behind bars. The investigation is ongoing.
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Mosque leader's home searched by police
Police have searched the home of a mosque leader as part of an investigation into whether child weddings are being conducted at a Philadelphia mosque. The Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque, on the 4800 block of Paschall Avenue in Kingsessing, is at the centre of the investigation.
The probe was triggered by a sexual assault victim coming forward to Action News. In a Facebook video, the alleged victim, who is now 17, described how she became a child bride at 14. She said:
> "At the time I was a virgin. It was going to be my first marriage of course. [...] I was married off to Rajmann Sanders, a man more than twice my age who then began sexually assaulting me and my 10-year-old sister. The 10-year-old was not handled correctly and everything was swept under the rug. Not only was it wrong, it was wrong to me because at the time I was still his wife."
Sanders has been charged with more than a dozen sexual offences against the girls, including rape, indecent assault, and forcible compulsion. He remains in custody. The victims are now in the protective care of the Department of Human Services.
The mosque has denied the allegations.
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Victims in protective custody of Department of Human Services
In 2019, a sexual assault victim came forward to Action News, claiming that she was first married off at the age of 14 at the Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque in Philadelphia. The girl, who was 17 at the time of the interview, also alleged that her 10-year-old sister was sexually assaulted by her much older husband, Rajmann Sanders.
Following these allegations, police investigated whether child weddings were being conducted at the mosque. Search warrants were issued at the mosque and the home of one of the mosque's leaders. The victim and her children are now in the protective custody of the Department of Human Services.
The Department of Human Services' Child Protective Services (CPS) provides a social service that assists children believed to be neglected or abused by parents or other adults having custody or parental responsibility. CPS's first priority is to maintain the child in a safe home environment, protecting them from further harm. When safety can be assured, children are kept with their parents, and the family is encouraged to participate in the intervention process. CPS also offers services to family members who may require intervention to decrease the risk of any continuing abuse or neglect.
In the case of the victims of the Philly mosque child bride scandal, the Department of Human Services likely stepped in to provide protective custody for the victims, ensuring their safety and well-being. This may have involved removing them from their previous living situation and placing them in a secure and supportive environment. The department also likely provided access to various support services, such as counselling or therapy, to help the victims heal and recover from their traumatic experiences.
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Frequently asked questions
Police are investigating the Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo mosque on the 4800 block of Paschall Avenue in Kingsessing, Philadelphia, for allegedly conducting child weddings.
A 17-year-old girl who claimed to be a victim of sexual assault said in a Facebook video that she was married off at the mosque when she was 14 years old.
She said that her husband, Rajmann Sanders, who was more than twice her age, sexually assaulted her and her 10-year-old sister. She also accused the mosque of covering up the assaults.
Sanders was charged with more than a dozen sexual offenses, including rape, indecent assault, and forcible compulsion. He is currently behind bars.
The victims are now in the protective custody of the Department of Human Services.
