M. A. Sow sentenced to eight years in prison under new law in Pikine

M. A. Sow, a man in his sixties, has been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Pikine-Guédiawaye court of flagrant offenses. This makes him one of the first individuals convicted under Senegal's new law n°2026-08, enacted on March 27, 2026. The case originated on April 7, when Sow allegedly approached a 14-year-old student at the Bus Rapid Transit Dakar station in Golf-Sud. He reportedly initiated a conversation about the minor's schooling and offered to lend him mathematics textbooks. Following this initial contact, the student provided his phone number. The court heard evidence of multiple subsequent exchanges, including repeated calls, insistent messages, and the sending of inappropriate content. The minor informed his parents, who then contacted the police. Officers from the Golf-Sud police station, in coordination with other units, set up an operation. The student agreed to meet Sow at his home in Aliou Sow city, where law enforcement intervened and arrested the suspect. During the hearing, Sow was confronted with digital evidence and admitted to the charges. The public prosecutor had requested a ten-year prison sentence based on the new legislation. In addition to the eight-year prison sentence, M. A. Sow is prohibited from residing in Dakar for five years and is forbidden from serving as a guardian or curator during the same period.