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

A Hennepin County District Court judge sentenced Qalinle Dirie, 42, to 12 years behind bars for first-degree criminal sexual conduct. His sentencing followed a May conviction.

The incident happened in June 2024, in the 900 block of Sheridan Avenue North in Minneapolis. The victim had been playing in her yard when Dirie drove by the yard and into an alley.

The criminal complaint, obtained by Law&Crime, indicated that while in the alley, Dirie pulled up to the victim’s home in a white car and asked her “if her mom was home.”

“When she told him no, he left but returned ten minutes later. When he came back, he put his hand over her mouth and picked her body up with his other hand. Victim said he forced her into the car, striking her in the head which caused her to feel dizzy and disoriented,” the complaint read.

Dirie then fled with the victim inside his vehicle, stopped a few blocks later, and raped her. Afterward, the victim managed to escape and run home, where she “went into the bathroom and remained for a period of 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?”

The sibling ended the call but began messaging “Muuse” while pretending to be the victim. “Muuse” referenced bringing condoms the next time he met up 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]