Restaurant boss in court over child sex allegations

A Teesside restaurateur has appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a child under 13 and taking indecent images of a child.

Mohammed Mizanoor Rahman, 34, known locally as “Mizzy”, is the owner of Pan-Asian restaurant Pangea on Norton Road, which opened in 2023. He lives on Durham Street in Stockton.

Five alleged offences in Middlesbrough

Rahman is accused of a total of five offences said to have taken place in Middlesbrough earlier this year.

The charges are:

• Three counts of assaulting a child under 13 by sexual touching
• Two counts of taking an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child

The allegations relate to a single child complainant, and at this stage remain unproven.

First appearance at Teesside Magistrates’ Court

Rahman appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 15. The case was treated as so serious that it could only be dealt with at the Crown Court.

No pleas were entered during the short hearing. Magistrates sent the case to Teesside Crown Court for further proceedings.

Crown Court date set and custody decision

Rahman is due to appear at Teesside Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Wednesday, May 13.

He was remanded in custody until that date.

Restaurant’s online presence

Pangea, the restaurant owned by Rahman, maintains an active online presence. A Facebook page associated with the business has continued to circulate locally following news of the charges.

The page can be accessed here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1JaGnN7n8H/

TrueNorth News is not reproducing any social media content but acknowledges the public interest surrounding the restaurant’s digital footprint as the case progresses.

Legal position and reporting note

The charges against Rahman are at an early stage in the court process. He has not yet entered any pleas and is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Due to the nature of the allegations and the age of the complainant, reporting restrictions may apply to protect the identity of the child. TrueNorth News will continue to follow the case through the courts and report developments in line with legal and ethical guidelines.