Fairfax County Imam Charged With Indecent Liberties With Girl

ANNANDALE — An imam at a Northern Virginia mosque has been charged with sexually assaulting a girl who had sought his assistance, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The 36-year-old imam, Said Shirzadi, has been charged with indecent liberties by a custodian. The police said in a statement that the victim sought Shirzadi’s assistance “in his position in the mosque” in 2015.

The Fairfax County police said its detectives determined Shirzadi served as a counselor and spiritual leader at the Mustafa Center in Annandale at the time of the alleged assault.

Shirzadi, who lives in Maryland, would meet her at various locations in the county, according to the police. He would then invite the girl into his car and sexually assault her, the police said.

Shirzadi served as imam for the last nine years at the Mustafa Center on Braddock Road in Annandale, the police said. The mosque, which opened in 1999, was established by the Afghan Academy with the support of the local Muslim community, according to its website.

The Mustafa Center had not responded to a request for comment at the time this article was published.

Fairfax County police said they began their investigation in May after the victim came forward. Shirzadi was arrested Tuesday after an investigation that included a review of digital evidence.

He has been released from the Fairfax County jail pending trial.