The former Al Maghrib Institute Quran teacher, Wisam Sharieff, has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to sexually exploit a child.
Last Thursday, U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Sharieff, 44, of Euless, Texas, to 960 months (80 years) in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.
Sharieff was also ordered to pay a $135,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA).
In June 2025, Sharieff pleaded guilty to:
- Conspiracy to engage in sexual exploitation of children
- Conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography
- Sexual exploitation of children
Sharieff’s co-defendant, Blake Miller Barakat, also known as “Hamna,” 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, was sentenced in October 2025 to 840 months (70 years) in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Barakat was ordered to pay a $30,000 AVAA special assessment.
In June 2025, Barakat pleaded guilty to:
- Sexual exploitation of children
- Distribution of child pornography
- Possession of child pornography
According to court documents, Sharieff used the title of Imam and worked as an online instructor specialising in Quran recitation, claiming to have taught more than 25,000 students worldwide. Barakat was one of his online students.
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Beginning in October 2024, Sharieff and Barakat repeatedly viewed and shared adult pornography with each other online. They then coerced a seven-year-old child into watching the videos and engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.
“The defendants’ crimes are among the most appalling of societal and criminal offences,” Escalona said. “This District will relentlessly pursue criminals who target children. I commend the collaboration of our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Texas in bringing these defendants to justice.
“The exploitation of children is an egregious crime that demands immediate and decisive law enforcement action,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Division. “The FBI stands ready to protect children and hold predators accountable.”
‘Remorseful’
Sharieff, who was arrested in November 2024, was a specialist in teaching Quran recitation and retention, and led the AlMaghrib Institute’s Quran Revolution program.
According to Alabama court documents seen by 5Pillars, Sharieff was arrested by an FBI agent for conspiracy to produce child pornography.
An affidavit by the agent testifies that Sharieff’s wife told the police that she had seen videos of a minor female child watching adult pornography on his phone. Sharieff’s wife stated that the child’s mother (an Alabama resident who was Sharieff’s student) was explaining sexual acts to the child in the video.
The affidavit further states that Sharieff told the child’s mother that “achieving an orgasm would help her spiritually and allow her to communicate with Allah better.”
The mother then proceeded to buy a sex toy and showed her child how to use it on herself, before streaming adult pornography which she shared with Sharieff.
Following his arrest, AlMaghrib sacked Sharieff for violating its code of conduct.
They said: “AlMaghrib Institute is horrified at the news of the criminal allegation against Wisam Sharieff. The safety and protection of AlMaghrib Institute’s students and community continues to be our top priority. This criminal allegation against Wisam Shariff is a jarring and sickening experience for his students as well as AlMaghrib Institute’s staff and instructors who worked with him…
“The criminal allegations, as laid out by law enforcement investigators against Wisam Sharieff, were conducted outside AlMaghrib Institute’s educational platform via private communication between the accused adult parties. The alleged minor-aged victim was not a student of AlMaghrib Institute. As such, no law enforcement authorities ever communicated with AlMaghrib Institute prior to filing their criminal complaint against Wisam Sharieff.”
Sharieff did not publicly dispute the federal charges against him, but in pre‑sentencing filings his attorneys submitted character letters from family and acquaintances describing him as remorseful and expressing a desire to change.
While in prison, Sharieff has maintained a personal blog and journal entries, which focus on his life in custody, faith and personal reflection rather than the legal case.
In these writings, he discusses his spiritual growth, daily prison experiences, and struggles with addiction, including pornography. Some entries describe his efforts to help fellow inmates, lead prayers and cope with the challenges of imprisonment.
