>Qalinle Ibrahim Dirie, 42, was convicted in May of first-degree criminal sexual conduct after he was found guilty of abducting the girl from her backyard and raping her in June 2024.

>Following his conviction, Dirie's local Islamic center, Al-Ihsan Islamic Center in St. Paul, submitted a heartfelt letter begging Hennepin County District Court Judge Michael Burns to consider the convicted criminal's 'character' before delivering a sentence, Alpha News reported.

>The letter, titled 'Community Support Letter for Qalinle Dirie,' was penned on behalf of 'the undersigned members of the Somali community,' and expressed 'strong and heartfelt support' for the 'member of our community.'