A Minnesota man who kidnapped a 12-year-old girl while she played in her backyard is headed to prison.

A judge in Hennepin County District Court has sentenced 42-year-old Qalinle Dirie to 12 years in prison for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, following his conviction in May.

The crime took place in June 2024 on Sheridan Avenue North in Minneapolis. The victim was outside playing in her yard when Dirie drove through the area in an alleyway.

According to the criminal complaint accessed by Law&Crime, Dirie stopped at the victim’s house in a white car, inquiring “if her mom was home.”

After she informed him that her mother wasn’t home, Dirie left but returned after ten minutes. Upon returning, he covered her mouth with one hand and lifted her with the other, forcing her into his car. He struck her head, making her feel dizzy and dazed, as stated in the complaint.

Dirie drove away with the victim, stopped a few blocks away, and assaulted her. The victim eventually escaped and returned home, where she stayed in the bathroom for some time.

She later told a school counselor about the incident, then had a sexual assault exam performed at the Hennepin County Medical Center.

On July 29, 2024, the victim’s 18-year-old brother saw her receiving calls from a “Mohamed Muuse,” later identified as Dirie.

The brother answered one of the calls and heard Dirie ask, “Hey beautiful! I miss you! When can I see you again?”

Her sibling, upon realizing their distress, ended the call and began messaging someone named “Muuse,” pretending to be the victim. “Muuse” mentioned bringing condoms for a future meeting with the victim.

The brother, while still pretending to be the victim, arranged for the defendant to meet up at the victim’s home.

“When [Dirie] arrived, he walked onto the front porch, which is screened in,” police wrote in the complaint.

“When he saw [the brother] and victim’s step-father waiting for him in the living room, he tried to flee. [The brother] stood in front of the door while 911 was called.”

When questioned by investigators, Dirie said that he had never met the victim in person. He later claimed she told him she was 19 years old.

His defense lawyer, Amber Johnson, argued unsuccessfully to keep him out of prison, claiming that Dirie didn’t have a criminal history and was “amenable” to probationary terms.

The defendant’s father, Ahmed Dirie Isse, provided a statement describing his son as a “devoted father to his four sons.”

The prosecution argued that Dirie “continues to deny that he committed the sexual assault.”

“[His] denial of the offense shows he lacks any remorse for his actions against [the girl]. … This crime, the apparent act of a stranger either forcing or inviting a 12-year-old child into his car to sexually assault her, is one of the most serious and egregious crimes there is.”

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Dirie will serve close to eight years in prison, given time served in jail.

He’s also required to register as a sex offender.

[Feature Photo via Hennepin County]