The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed a denaturalisation action in the Southern District of New York against Hassan Sherjil Khan, alleging he unlawfully obtained US citizenship by failing to disclose serious criminal conduct during the naturalisation process.
According to the Department, Khan was granted US citizenship in May 2013 after applying in August 2012. The complaint alleges that at the time of his application, he had already engaged in criminal conduct that would have disqualified him from meeting the “good moral character” requirement for naturalisation.
It is reported by DoJ, starting in 2007 or 2008, Khan began communicating online with an 11-year-old girl (the Victim). Until 2013, Khan, knowing that Victim was barely in her teens, continually coerced and enticed her to send him sexually explicit images of herself and to engage in sexually explicit conduct via live video chats.
It is further reported that Khan also travelled abroad to engage in sexual acts with the victim when she was only fifteen.
Khan was later arrested in 2015 and, in 2016, pleaded guilty to a federal offence relating to coercion and enticement of a minor. He was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment and remains in custody.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the action reflects the Department’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the naturalisation process.
“Naturalization and U.S. citizenship will not protect sexual predators from the consequences of their horrific acts,” said Shumate.
“If you fail to disclose serious crimes while seeking naturalization, the government will discover your lies and revoke your ill-gotten U.S. citizenship.”
As per the DoJ, the denaturalization complaint against Khan alleges that he illegally procured his naturalization because when he naturalized, he lacked good moral character required for naturalization because he had committed a crime involving moral turpitude and then had given false testimony about his crimes during his naturalization proceedings.
The denaturalization complaint also alleges that Khan obtained his naturalization through willful misrepresentations or concealment of material facts.
The matter is being handled by the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation in coordination with the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
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