Missouri Man Sentenced for Sexual Assaults

A Missouri man who targeted Muslim women has received a lengthy prison sentence—291 years—for sexually assaulting seven women he met through dating apps.

Yahya Marie, 30, a chiropractic student, was sentenced on Tuesday for years of luring unsuspecting individuals to his suburban St. Louis apartment where he assaulted them.

The majority of his victims were Muslim women who sought connections on religious dating platforms that required users to adhere to Islamic practices. Reportedly, three of the seven women testified during the trial about their experiences from March 2023 to February 2025.

Many victims expressed hesitation about coming forward to law enforcement, fearing they would be dismissed or embarrassed. One woman shared that during her first meeting with Marie, who went by the name “John” online, she was “confused.” He removed her hijab without her consent and then assaulted her, falsely claiming to be married.

They had met on a mainstream dating app and discussed Islamic values, which led to their meeting. After the assault, when she tried to resist, Marie scolded her, saying she would go to hell if she didn’t fulfill her “wifely duties,” which she described as one of the strangest misunderstandings.

After a second assault during a follow-up visit, she considered returning a third time with the intention of harming him to prevent another attack, admitting, “I felt like my life was already over.”

During the sentencing, two of the victims were present. One mentioned her initial reluctance to participate in the case but ultimately decided to attend for closure, stating that it was crucial for her healing.

Marie faced multiple charges, including four counts of first-degree rape or attempted rape, eight counts of second-degree rape, and five counts of first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy. However, he was acquitted of two counts of assault and two counts of kidnapping.