A Minnesota man is headed to prison for snatching a 12-year-old girl from her backyard as she was “playing” and raping her in the back of his car, with prosecutors saying he tried forming a relationship with the youth over the phone afterwards — and then blamed the victim”s mother, “claiming she is behind everything.”

Qalinle Dirie, 42, was sentenced last Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court to 12 years in a state prison after being convicted in May of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for the June 2024 attack in Minneapolis. Court records show that Dirie, a first-time offender, “continues to deny” that he committed the sexual assault on the 12-year-old victim, who was grabbed from her home in the 1900 block of Sheridan Avenue North on a Wednesday.

“Victim stated that she’d seen the suspect driving past her house often and that he drives a white, four-door Toyota,” Dirie’s criminal complaint alleged.

“Victim said that she had been playing in her backyard one day when the man stopped behind her home in the alley and got out to talk to her and asked if her mom was home,” the document charged. “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.”

According to the girl, Dirie drove her away from her house for a couple of blocks, pulled over, and then got into the backseat with her. She said he began to sexually assault her and left bodily fluids at the scene afterwards, which she kept and provided to police.

“Victim said was able to get out of the car and run home where she went into the bathroom and remained for a period of time,” the complaint recounted.

On June 10th, 2024, the girl reported to her school counselor that she was sexually assaulted, and she was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where sexual assault exam was performed.

A family member found phone calls on the 12-year-old’s cellphone a month later from someone named “Mohamed Muuse” — who police believed to be Dirie — which were being ignored, according to the complaint. The relative, identified as an older brother, asked who the person was and began messaging with them through Snapchat, according to prosecutors. The brother picked up one of Dirie’s calls on July 29 and heard him say, “Hey beautiful! I miss you! When can I see you again?” before hanging up.

The brother inquired about Dirie’s location, with him claiming to be “14 minutes away” from the family’s home. The sibling asked Dirie to come over — still pretending to be the 12-year-old — in an attempt to confront him, according to the complaint, which cites the adult’s statements to police.

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

While being taken into custody, Dirie initially claimed that he “never met” the victim before eventually telling police, “She told me she is 19 years old. I don’t know why,” according to the complaint.

In their sentencing memorandum, Hennepin County prosecutors accused Dirie of lacking “any remorse for his actions” and “any insight” into how they have “harmed the victim,” per the memo.

“Defendant still blames the victims’ mother, claiming she is behind everything,” the filing said. “Defendant’s refusal in acknowledging his harmful behavior only demonstrates that he is not cooperative nor amenable to individualized sex offender treatment, let alone individualized sex offender treatment in a probationary setting. Further, even if Defendant had taken responsibility and expressed remorse, that alone would not outweigh the serious nature of his crimes.”

Dirie and his defense lawyer tried getting family members to provide statements to the court asking for mercy before his sentencing, including one from his dad, Ahmed Dirie Isse, who described Dirie as a “devoted father to his four sons,” according to his statement.

“Since his arrest, our family has been in deep distress,” Isse asserted. “I have had many sleepless nights, and this situation has been agonizing for all of us. We have never experienced anything like this before.”

Isse claimed that he “cannot bear the thought” of Dirie’s sons “growing up without their father.” He made no mention of the victim or what happened, nor did his other family members, court records show.

“The statements show that either Defendant has not told them what he was convicted of, or that they are dismissive of his crime,” prosecutors blasted in their sentencing memorandum.

“Family members are focused on the impact this has had on him and the family; none of them acknowledge the victim and her family,” the prosecutors said. “While they cite that he is a person of good character, it is more likely that this offense is a side of him they did not know about, nor do they want to know about; but quite simply, sexual assault on a child is not something a person of good character does.”