According to an FBI affidavit filed by special agent Eric Salvador in Birmingham, the Chelsea woman arrested last month for multiple child sexual abuse charges was producing child porn featuring her daughter at the behest of a Texas-based Muslim imam who convinced her that doing so would bring her and her daughter “closer to Allah.”
Blake Miller Barakat, 50, of Chelsea, was arrested last month and charged with three counts of sex abuse of a child under the age of 12 and 10 counts each of production of child pornography and dissemination of child pornography. She is currently held on a nearly $2 million bond.
The initial charges claimed Barakat filmed a female, described as prepubescent, engaging in sex acts while watching pornography. Salvador’s affidavit now reveals the underage girl is Barakat’s daughter.
The affidavit was filed to help secure the arrest of Imam Wisam Sharieff, known for his affiliation with AlMaghrib Institute in Houston, Texas, and as the founder of Advocating Qur’anic Literacy (AQL). The AlMaghrib Institute listed Sharieff as a specialist in teaching Quran recitation and retention, and he leads the Quran Revolution program for the Institute. The site also claimed Sharieff "taught more than 25,000 students worldwide."
Warning: the information in the affidavit contains explicit details
FBI Affidavit by Craig Monger on Scribd
The affidavit does not explicitly use Barakat’s name. However, the details listed in court records compared to the affidavit make her identity as the suspect in the affidavit undeniable.
According to the affidavit, Barakat, identified as “Suspect 2,” was told by Sharieff that “achieving an orgasm would help her spiritually and allow her to communicate with Allah better.” Barakat then “expressed interest” in helping her daughter, identified only as “MV,” to become closer to Allah as well. The “MV” designation is a common abbreviation for “minor victim” in such cases to protect the minor's identity.
“SUSPECT 2 bought MV a vibrator sex toy and showed MV how to use it on herself,” the affidavit reads. “SUSPECT 2 would stream adult pornography for MV to watch while she was masturbating. MV learned how to use the toy on herself, and SUSPECT 2 would film MV performing sexual acts on herself.”
“SUSPECT 2 would produce videos of SUSPECT 2 and MV performing sexual acts on themselves and send them to SHARIEFF via the Telegram App so SHARIEFF could guide them and let them know how far they were progressing on their quest to become closer to Allah.”
The investigation came after Sharieff’s wife called the Alabama Department of Human Resources after finding the Telegram messages between Sharieff and Barakat, which included the child porn videos, according to the affidavit. Sharieff’s wife claimed she recognized the mother and daughter after meeting them at an Atlanta conference. The wife also reportedly read messages from Sharieff asking Barakat to produce even more videos of MV.
After the affidavit, federal conspiracy to produce child pornography charges were brought against Sharieff.
The AlMaghrib Institute swiftly terminated Sharieff and has since posted multiple messages to social media, expressing “rage and disgust” while offering prayers and well wishes to the victims. It also clarified that any alleged victims were not associated with the Institute and any abuse did not occur on its educational platform.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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