Latest Offenders London

Description

A grime artist who was serving 24 years in jail for imprisoning and repeatedly raping four women has had his sentence increased by six years.

Solo 45, whose real name is Andy Anokye, was found guilty of 21 rapes, five counts of false imprisonment, two counts of assault by penetration and two of actual bodily harm at Bristol Crown Court last July.

However, following a hearing the Court of Appeal have ruled that his initial sentence was "unduly lenient", and he will now spend 30 years in jail for the 30 charges which took place over a two-year period.

He also was also handed a five years additional licence to reflect the seriousness of his crimes.

Speaking after the ruling which was made by three senior judges, Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC called Anokye's offences "truly shocking".

Mr Ellis said the court's decision to increase the sentence recognised "the severity of the abuse [Anokye] inflicted upon his victims and the danger he poses to the public".

Calls for Anokye to be given a life sentence were rejected.

During his trial, the jury heard that the musician derived sexual pleasure from torturing women by waterboarding, interrogating, assaulting and raping them.

The court heard that Anokye forced one woman to lie in a bath of freezing cold water, held a shotgun to the head of another, held a cloth covered in bleach to women's faces, and forced a mobile phone down a woman's throat.

Graphic footage filmed by Anokye on his mobile phone showing him abusing multiple women was also shown to the jury as evidence.

The 33-year-old had claimed it was consensual role play, or a game he played called "catch me, rape me". He said he had told the women that he would "terrorise" them.

Anokye, who is from London but had a harbourside apartment in Bristol, told the court during evidence that he had dacryphilia - sexual arousal from tears and sobbing.

Anokye was part of grime collective Boy Better Know signed to record label Island Records, and had collaborated with the likes of Stormzy, JME and Wiley.

When passing his original sentence last summer, judge William Hart, told Anokye he had "no sexual boundaries or empathy for those concerned".

He said the rapper - who had a background of gang associations and criminal violence - "become addicted" to the "perverted pleasure" he gained from abusing his victims and that none of his fellow musicians knew about his "dark side".

He said Anokye's conviction had deprived him of a "flourishing career", but he had only himself to blame.

Avon and Somerset Police first began investigating him in 2017, after a woman reported being raped by him.

Following the discovery of the video footage on Anokye's phone, three further woman came forward to police.

A fifth woman also gave evidence against him, but her allegation could not be prosecuted as it happened abroad.

Anokye will only be released from prison after serving at least 20 years of his 30-year jail term behind bars and when the Parole Board is satisfied he no longer poses a danger to the public.

Speaking after the ruling, the Crown Prosecution Service's Jill Macnamara said she welcomed the increased sentence and hoped it would give victims of rape and sexual assault confidence in police powers to investigate, charge and prosecute cases reported to them.

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A Deptford security guard who raped a woman who mistook his car for a mini-cab while on duty has been jailed.

Sola Austin Warikwah, 39, of Albyn Road, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, December 17, where he was jailed for seven years for rape, having been found guilty in September.

He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The victim had been drinking in a nightclub in Bethnal Green before she arrived around the Embankment area in central London, encountering Warikwah in the early hours of Easter Monday, April 22, 2019.

Warikwah, a security patrol manager for contractor Securitas, was tasked with visiting sites and patrolling areas of central London between 7pm on April 21 and 7am on April 22, including the car park in Belgravia where the victim was raped.

During her ordeal, the victim, who was in her 20s, managed to send messages to a friend.

She wrote: Ive been raped. I feel sick. This taxi wont take me home. Im scared.

She later managed to escape the car, taking photographs of her assailant as he walked away.

Warikwah was arrested at his home address in Deptford two days later.

Detective Sergeant John Paton, of Westminster Sapphire Team in the Safeguarding Unit, said: Sola Austin Warikwah is a predatory sex offender who targeted a vulnerable, unsuspecting woman travelling alone.

Due to the courage and quick thinking of the victim, assistance from the public and the veracity of the investigation, a dangerous offender has been placed where he is no longer a threat to women.

I sincerely hope that the sentence handed down today encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward.

Description

A serial rapist attacked a 17-year-old girl just months after convincing a Parole Board he wasn't a threat so he could be released from a life sentence for a similar attack 14 years ago, a court has heard.

William Trotter, 39, hit his victim around the head with a blunt object, strangled her until she lost consciousness and brutally raped her in undergrowth along a street in Bromley, London.

He denied rape and kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence but was convicted by a jury at Croydon Crown Court and sentenced to to life, serving a minimum of 12 years before he can apply for parole.

Trotter attacked his teenage victim on March 19, moments after they both got off the N199 bus to Bromley, south London.

He was previously jailed in 2006 but was released last year after convincing a parole board he was no longer a risk of sexual offending.

Nine months after he walked free, Trotter pulled on the pink face covering and spoke to the girl on the bus. He got off with her at the same stop and pretended to head in the opposite direction but turned round and ran after her.

The girl was walking past Southborough Library bus stop and turned right down Southborough Lane towards Turpington Lane. Trotter hit her over the head with a blunt object and grabbed her around the throat.

She screamed but he dragged her into the undergrowth and raped her. Residents heard her screams and called the police who arrived four minutes later as the woman was staggering out.

James Thacker, prosecuting, said: 'The extent of the violence used here was sustained and significant, and could probably be regarded as extreme.

'She was vulnerable and this was known by this defendant when he decided to follow her, abduct and rape her.'

Officers spotted Trotter and chased him through nearby woods - but lost sight of him as he scrambled over a wall into an allotment.

The offence was almost identical to the one he carried out in 14 years ago. Trotter had been drinking cans of strong lager all day before launching his latest attack.

He told her: 'I just want to look at you, I don't know what I'm doing.' Trotter added: 'Why do you have to be so nice, I can't do it' before he kissed her.

She tried to reason with him asking if he had a wife or sister and he lied, saying he had two daughters. He pulled her by the hair onto the ground, hit her head against the wall and started to strangle her.

When she told him she could not breathe he said: 'I don't care, I'll kill you, you're nothing to me.' Trotter dragged her along the ground and told her to kneel down while he was groping her backside and thighs.

During the ordeal that followed Trotter told her to put her head on his shoulder so they looked like a normal couple. He twice raped his screaming victim while apologising to her, before she managed to run home and call the police.

Trotter was arrested six days later after DNA from his semen found in the victim's knickers matched that on his police file. Trotter admitted four charges of rape but claimed he could not remember the attack.

He was given an indeterminate sentence which meant that he could be kept in jail for life. Trotter was first released on 13 June 2014, but committed further offences including aggravated vehicle taking on 18 October of that year.

He was jailed for 20 months and served half before his release from jail in June 2019.

Trotter insisted he was a changed man in a series of interviews and was given his freedom subject to 'close monitoring.' He fled to Glasgow after the latest attack and moved in with a relative, lying about the reason for his sudden appearance.

When police launched an appeal they said he had a tattoo of a 'devil gremlin' with the name 'Daniel' on his right arm. A Metropolitan Police Service spokesman said a possible line of inquiry was that he was wearing the mask to hide his identity rather than to repel the coronavirus.

After a nationwide manhunt, Trotter was finally tracked down when he moved back to London. Trotter, dressed in a grey tracksuit and beanie, had denied rape and kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence but was convicted by a jury.

Reading a statement from the witness box, his latest victim said: 'I was brutally attacked and raped. I have been plugged into a nightmare I have not been able to wake from. He strangled me until I was unconscious and that only ended when the police managed to arrive.

'It's a feeling I can only describe as terror and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. My 18th birthday was destroyed. My happy childhood memories were taken away from me.

'Before the attack, I was a very confident and sociable person. That was all taken away from me when William Trotter took away my confidence, happiness, and innocence.'

Her father, breaking down in tears, said: 'As a father, I remain the most angry and confused that I have ever been in my life. I do not forgive and I will not forget Trotter.'

Passing sentence, Judge Elizabeth Lowe told the rapist: 'You identified her as a target within seconds of seeing her.

'You were chasing after her at speed. When you got within distance of her you struck her with immense power, dragged her into the bushes where you violently raped her.

'You grabbed her around the throat. Throughout the ordeal, she was drifting in and out of consciousness and you told her to shut up or you would f-king kill her.

'It was only the arrival of the police that caused you to stop what you were doing.

'The acts of physical violence that you committed were horrific, her face was covered in blood, her hair was matted from the material of the ground.

'She emerged from the bushes half-naked with her clothes trailing behind. She was begging for help and begging for her mum.

'You've demonstrated absolutely no remorse for your actions.

'You evaded the police. You thought you had gotten away with this for a week or so. When you were finally apprehended on 9 April you pretended to be someone else and then tried to escape from the police and were detained.'

Judge Lowe said Trotter had committed the violent sex attack after convincing the parole board he was no longer a risk.

The judge continued: 'You were subject to close monitoring when you committed this offence. It's without hesitation that I consider that there are significant risks to members of the public. You are an extremely violent serial sexual predator.

'A life sentence is clearly well justified in this case. I observe no mitigating features which merit downward adjustment.'

Trotter, from Bromley, was sentenced to life and will serve a minimum of 12 years before he can apply for parole.

He must keep police informed of personal particulars including any address he may live at if ever released from prison.

Description

A man calling himself Jesus who broke into a womans home to try to rape her has been jailed for nine years.

George Wallace, 26, had been drinking heavily when he climbed into the 58-year-old grandmothers home as she slept.

He dragged the victim from her bed, but fled when the womans daughter came to investigate the commotion.

Police found a trail of muddy footprints left behind by Wallace, his fingerprints on the bathroom window, and his DNA on a vodka bottle at the scene.

At Woolwich crown court on Monday, Wallace was found guilty by a jury of carrying out the attack and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Prosecutor Amanda Hamilton told the court the attack happened just before 7am on November 10 last year, as the woman slept following a late-night in with her family.

She was suddenly awoken by someone flinging the bedroom door open," she said.

She saw the outline of a man, didnt recognise him, and started to scream, or at least she tried to start to scream.

Ms Hamilton said the womans attempts to call for help were stifled by medical equipment she wore at night, but she managed to push the man as he advanced on her.

Wallace then grabbed her wrists as he told her: My name is Jesus, I have come to f*** you.

He pulled her off the bed," said Ms Hamilton. She continued to scream and kick out at him she wasnt going to let him remove her clothing.

Wallace had pulled down his own trousers when the victims daughter came into the room.

Forensic tests pinned him to the scene, while the victim picked him out of an identity parade.

The fingerprint and DNA evidence in this investigation was vital in identifying Wallace," said Detective Constable Paul Harakis, from the Mets South Area Safeguarding team.

The victim has shown tremendous courage in giving evidence. This case shows how working across the organisation with teams such as forensic specialists, helps to secure a conviction.

Wallace had been caught on camera buying a bottle of vodka from a nearby petrol station prior to the attack, but insisted he was not the man responsible.

He told detectives he had been out at a club with his brother and was on his way to his girlfriends home when he came across a man asking for help.

Wallace claimed he had helped another man to climb through a bathroom window, believing he had been locked out of his own home.

Wallace, of Orpington, denied but was convicted of attempted rape and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Recorder Joel Bennathan QC sentenced him to nine years in prison with an extra five years on licence once released. Wallace must serve at least two thirds of the prison sentence, and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Description

A homeless sex attacker who lured a woman into woodland and twice raped her has been jailed for 12 years.

Danut Bulboana, 21, targeted the victim near Catford Bridge Railway Station in southeast London when she got lost going home after a night out.

The woman, who is in her late twenties, was lured into a nearby woods by Romanian national Bulboana, who was living rough in the area.

He forced an object into her mouth to quiet her cries during the prolonged sex attack in August last year.

The woman eventually managed to get away from Bulboana and call 999.

A response team arrived on the scene within minutes and the victim led officers to the crime location.

The woman also provided a detailed description of her attacker and Bulboana was later arrested.

He was charged on 25 October 2019, after forensic examinations linked him to the crime.

Bulboana denied raping his victim but was convicted after trial and jailed for 12 years at Woolwich Crown Court.

Detective Constable Dean Young, who led the investigation, said: 'This was a brutal and extremely sinister attack in which Bulboana preyed on the vulnerability of a lone woman at night.

'I would like to commend the sheer bravery displayed by the victim who quickly called police after being subjected to a truly horrific ordeal.

'Her actions resulted in a dangerous man being detained by officers within an hour of the attack, and subsequently being sentenced for his crimes.

'This case demonstrates our commitment to removing sexual predators from the streets of London and ensuring they are brought to justice. Rape and sexual offences often inflict lasting trauma on victims, but I hope that Bulboana's conviction will help the victim's recovery process somewhat.

'If you are a victim of a sexual crime, please tell us - you will be supported by specialist officers who are trained to help and guide victims throughout their recovery process.'

Bulboana of no fixed address, denied but was convicted of two counts of rape and one of attempting to choke.

Nijole O'Brien, from the CPS, said: 'This was a terrifying attack on a woman by a complete stranger.

'The victim demonstrated remarkable bravery in leading police officers in a search of the local area, during which they found Bulboana.

'The victim was able to identify him despite the fact he had changed out of his clothes to avoid being caught.

'Bulboana denied the rape, claiming that all he had done was comfort and assist the victim.

'The prosecution case included strong witness testimony from the victim, DNA evidence and CCTV footage.

'Bulboana will now have to face the consequences of his actions.

'I hope this conviction goes some way in providing closure to the victim.'

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The victim pleaded with you stop, and you replied: Do I look as if I care?

A teenager who raped an 18-year-old woman in south London has been handed a five-year custodial sentence.

Tamoy Bailey, who is now 18 but aged 16 at the time, carried out the attack at an address in Peckham in March last year after meeting the victim earlier that day.

The woman was asked to come to the house and, when she arrived, Bailey locked her in the bathroom.

He then subjected her to verbal abuse before raping her, a court heard.

The then 16-year-old also threatened her with a knife and said he would stab her if she did not have sex with him.

After the attack, the woman managed to leave the address and get to safety, where she immediately called police to report the attack.

Bailey, of Hastings Close, Peckham, was arrested on April 2 and charged with rape and false imprisonment, all relating to the same victim.

On Tuesday, he was given a five-year custodial sentence with a two year parole extension due to the danger he poses to potential victims. He was also handed a three year sentence to run concurrently for false imprisonment.

Addressing Inner London Crown Court, Judge Donne said: The victim pleaded with you stop, and you replied, Do I look as if I care? This exemplified your attitude towards her.

You did not care about her, you wanted sex and were willing to do what was necessary to obtain it.

He also stated that Bailey represented a significant risk of harm to the public.

Detective Constable Jake Good, of the Mets Central South safeguarding team, said: Bailey is a violent sexual offender and an ongoing risk to women. He was arrogant in the extreme and thought he could get away with raping this young woman.

I hope this result and the sentencing brings her some degree of comfort. Importantly, I would like to recognise her dignity while confronting the trauma he put her through, in addition to the stress of the court proceedings.

Description

A convicted paedophile has admitted abusing 20 children while working as a live-in au pair.

Aaron McWilliams abused children and babies he was employed to look after while staying in family homes across the UK and Europe.

The 28-year-old was sentenced to life for his horrific crimes, which were described by police as 'every family's worst nightmare.'

McWilliams, who is already serving time in Belmarsh Prison for child abuse, was told he will serve a minimum of nine years in jail at Woolwich Crown Court today.

The predator made videos of himself sexually abusing children aged between four months and 14, and detectives now fear there may be further victims yet to come forward.

Police said McWilliams was 'manipulative, cold, calculating, and highly dangerous to children and young people.'

McWilliams was first convicted in 2016 for sexually assaulting a four-year-old child.

After serving part of his sentence, McWilliams was released and began working with a family within a matter of weeks after providing fake references.

He sexually abused another four-year-old child and was jailed again for seven years in August 2017.

During the investigation, a phone was seized and detectives found 2,472 indecent images of children plus an extensive collection of videos McWilliams had made of himself sexually abusing his young victims.

The prolific child predator was interviewed twice in 2018 about the material on his phone and made admissions about his horrific actions.

Some 24 victims, aged between four months and 14-years-old, were identified during the investigation of which all but one were boys.

McWilliams admitted a string of 40 sex crimes against children including 14 counts of inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sex, eight counts of inciting a boy under 13 to engage in other sexual activity and seven counts of sexual assault on a boy.

These also include three counts of making an indecent photo of a child, three counts of sexual assault on a child, two counts of rape of a boy under 13, attempted rape of a boy under 13, sexual assault on a girl and engaging in sexual activity with a boy under 15.

DS Adam Ghaboos, of the Met Police Central East Safeguarding team, said: 'McWilliams is a predatory paedophile who sexually abused a large number of children he was entrusted to care for.

'It is every family's worst nightmare. He is manipulative, cold, calculating, and highly dangerous to children and young people.

'This case is among the most serious child abuse offending that the team has seen.

'I would like to acknowledge the courage of the young victims and their families who have endured the horrific abuse and the long-term harm these types of crimes cause.

'McWilliams will spend a long time in jail where he cannot harm any other children.'

DS Ghaboos said there may be further victims yet to come forward and asked families who have employed McWilliams in the past to come forward.

He added: 'Our enquiries have led us to a large number of McWilliams' victims, but we can't rule out the possibility that there may be more.

'I would urge any families who have employed McWilliams or believe that he may have had contact with their children to come forward.'

Description

A rapist who tried to blame an imaginary identical twin for the attack has been jailed for 22 years.

Khaled Argoub, 21, followed a woman off a tube and dragged her into a dark park where he choked her until she blacked out and sexually assaulted her.

He was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 17 September after being found guilty of two counts of attempted rape.

He was also found guilty of attempting to choke with intent, assault by penetration and three counts of sexual assault.

Argoub was given an extended sentence of 22 years for attempted rape, with the other sentences of nine and ten years to run concurrently.

Fourteen of those he will spend in custody. He will be considered for parole after serving two thirds of the 14 years.

The victim, who is in her 20s and cannot be named for legal reasons, was walking home from a night out with friends through Colliers Wood, south-west London.

CCTV footage shown at trial showed how Argoub followed her from the night tube, down Colliers Wood High Street before entering a residential road at around 3am.

When the victim was most of the way down the street, she noticed Argoub standing in the middle of the road 'smirking' at her, she later described.

The rapist then ran towards the victim, grabbed hold of her, and dragged her into Wandle Park.

He grabbed her from behind with his arm around her neck, chocking her before attempting to rape her. He also sexually assaulted her.

Biting his hand, which was covering her mouth, the victim was able to escape and ran to a nearby block of flats until officers arrived a short time after.

The victim was taken to hospital where she had significant cuts and scratches to her body and reddening to her neck.

Her voice was hoarse from the strangulation and she struggled to speak.

A search was conducted for the suspect, with helicopter and dog support but there was no trace of the defendant.

Officers found a baseball cap with a 'B' logo on the front at the scene.

Officers discovered a man fitting Argoub wearing a baseball cap on CCTV, which was found at the scene of the crime.

Twelve minutes later after the attack, he is seen re-entering the station heading towards Tooting Broadway and is no longer wearing the baseball cap.

A nail clipping was taken from the victim at hospital, which contained a partial DNA profile for Argoub.

He was arrested at 0.45am on 24 August and charged later that day.

Kingston Crown Court heard how during a police interview on 26 August, he had attempted to blame the attack on his imaginary twin brother.

Prosecutor Charlotte Newell said: 'He claimed to have a twin but did not know when he had last seen him or contacted him.

'This is of course in contradiction to him telling his housemate that he had no family in the UK.

'He said he got around London by following people because he is an animal and that he didn't know Colliers Wood area but his brother might.

'He said that he could not remember where he was on evening on 10 August but probably in bed sleeping.

'He was shown CCTV stills of the male at South Wimbledon and Colliers Wood but denied it was him and maintained that it could be his twin brother.'

Detective Constable Faye Castleman, the officer in charge of the investigation, said: 'On behalf of the victim and her family, I am pleased that justice has been served and I hope that this sentence can bring some closure for them.

'The victim was immensely brave throughout the investigation and I highly commend her courage.

'This case also recognises the importance of forensics in helping to identify offenders.

'We take these cases very seriously and I would encourage anyone who has been through a similar experience to come forward and report it to us in confidence.'

Description

Serial rapist Joseph McCann was free to attack his victims when he was mistakenly released from prison due to "major failings" by "unstable" and inexperienced probation staff, a review has found.

Officials were warned McCann had the hallmarks of a sex offender as early as 2011, but probation officers missed eight chances to keep him behind bars, according to an independent case review.

The 34-year-old dealt with 10 staff over the 11 years he was known to authorities and had three different probation officers in the months before he was wrongly released from prison in February 2019, the report added.

He went on to rape, abduct and assault 11 women and children between the ages of 11 and 71 in a terrifying 15-day rampage two months later.

A review of the case ordered by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and carried out by Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell laid bare repeated errors in failing to recall McCann to prison despite him posing a major risk.

Weeks before he carried out the attacks in Watford, London and the North West of England, he was automatically released from jail due to a probation service mistake, the review found.

But had he been recalled to prison, he would have been kept behind bars until a parole board decided he was safe to release, it said.

Description

A man found unanimously guilty of violently beating and raping a woman in Charlton has today been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Detectives desrcibed it as "one of the most shocking cases we've ever dealt with" due to the violence used by Osman Suleyman, of no address.

The 31-year-old has been found guilty of raping a 23-year-old female, who was known to the offender, after she returned with friends to a flat in Charlton after a night out on October 4, 2019.

Suleyman demanded the victim perform sexual acts on him as payment for drugs and alcohol, then turned violent, repeatedly striking her face using a knuckle duster and the sheath of a knife.

He then forced the victim to perform a sex act on him and raped her. Suleyman told the woman that if she told police, he would kill her.

A friend called police shortly after the incident, and police forced entry into the flat, finding blood smeared on the walls and kitchen door and arrested Suleyman at the scene.

On March 17, at Woolwich Crown Court, Suleyman had been unanimously found guilty of two counts of rape, assault (ABH), threats to kill and false imprisonment.

Suleyman was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on 26 June to 16 years in prison and an extended five years on licence.

As a result of the horrific ordeal, the victim suffered extensive injuries, including cuts and bruises to her face and body.

Detective Constable Ben Harrington of the South East Command Unit said: "This was a horrible crime and the victim was subjected to a dreadful ordeal.

"Thankfully she has been able to recover from her injuries, but the impact of such a crime goes beyond the physical injury.

The Met recognises the traumatic nature of such crimes and that is why victims are supported by specialist officers. I hope that seeing the man responsible brought to justice will help her recovery.

Suleyman is a violent man and the jury found him unanimously guilty on all charges. This is certainly one of the most shocking cases I have ever had to deal with. The violence used was appalling. Suleyman now faces a long term in prison for his crime; it is thoroughly deserved.

During the court case, it was heard that on October 4, Suleyman and a number of others were out in Woolwich Town Cetre, including a 23-year-old woman known to him.

The group returned in the early hours of Saturday, October 5, to a flat in Charlton which was the home of one of Suleyman's friends, and he was temporarily staying there.

Police said that up until this point, the evening had been good-natured, but Suleyman's mood began to change and he demanded that the victim perform sexual acts on him as payment for drugs and alcohol he bought.

When the woman refused, Suleyman became violent and repeatedly struck her in the face with several objects, including a knuckle duster, kicked her, then raped her.

Almost immediately, after leaving the address, the victim saw a friend who could see she was in distress and the friend called the police. Police attended and spoke to the victim, who was taken to hospital.

Officers located the address where the offence happened and forced entry, Suleyman was present at the location and arrested.

At the scene there were clear signs of disturbance with blood smeared on the walls and on a kitchen door. There was also clothing and bedding items in a washing machine which appeared to be bloodstained.

In interview Suleyman simply said he had not raped or assaulted anyone and answered no comment to all further questions put to him.

HORRIBLE CRIME DREADFUL ORDEAL

VIIOLENT MAN, UNANIOUSLY GUILTY, one of the most shocking cases ive ever had to deal wityh, the violence used was appalling. thoughtylu deserved

Description

A man has been jailed for 32 years after being found guilty of raping a child.

Treva Thrower, 45 (11.08.77) of Beckenham was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Monday, 12 September.

He was found guilty at the same court on Wednesday, 25 May of nine counts including raping a child under 13, sexual assault of a child under 13 and intentionally causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences took place at the female victim’s home address in Bromley between 2014 and 2018. Thrower also took photos of the victim and threatened to upload them onto the internet if she told anyone what was happening.

He also physically assaulted her if she resisted him.

The victim disclosed the abuse at school in 2019 and officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime team launched an investigation.

Thrower went on the run before handing himself into police, having deleted all the contents of his mobile phone.

Detective Constable Tracey Brocklesby, who led the investigation, said: “This prison term reflects the horror this child went through at the hands of Thrower.

“Throughout his trial he provided no account to the court and was both disruptive and manipulative throughout the proceedings, causing unnecessary distress to this very brave victim.

“I hope this sends out a clear message to those who inflict such harm – we will do everything in power to identify you and bring you to justice.”

Thrower will also be subject to the Registered Sex Offender requirements for life and was also given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A Bromley paedophile who sent explicit photos and videos of himself to young girls he met online has been jailed.

Carl Spencer, 31, of Havelock Road, engaged in conversations with several girls, aged between 12 and 13, on a messaging app.

On each occasion, the conversation became sexual in nature, leading to Spencer sending explicit images and videos of himself to the girls.

After receiving information of his activities, Essex police arrested him at an address in Southend on April 14, 2018.

Officers also found more than 200 indecent images and videos of children when they searched his phone and Dropbox account.

On February 13, Spencer pleaded guilty to 23 child sex offences, including eight counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, nine counts of distributing indecent images of children and three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

He was also charged with two counts of causing a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, and one count of attempting to cause or incident a girl to engage in sexual activity.

At Basildon Crown Court he was jailed for a total of four years and eight months on March 5.

Investigating officer PC Lewis Gordon, from the Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT), said: Carl Spencer is a prolific offender who repeatedly targeted young girls.

When he established how young they were he deliberately ensure their conversations became sexual in nature and sent them explicit images of himself.

He is a dangerous offender who, I have no doubt, would have continued to contact girls if he had not been arrested and convicted.

POLIT works to protect children from the threat of online offending and targets offenders suspected of making, possessing, and distributing indecent images of children.

Detective Inspector Jo Collins, who manages POLIT, said: This is another example of the fantastic work my team has done to keep people safe.

The work my team does often takes place away from the public eye but is absolutely crucial to keeping children safe. Last year, we safeguarded more than 300 children.

The online threat to children is growing and my teams work has never been more important.

Its just another way were protecting Essex.

Description

A repeat Lewisham sex offender who uploaded child pornography of an extreme nature online despite being under supervision has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Police traced the upload to Aron Mortlock, 37, of Waters Road, a registered sex offender previously convicted of making indecent images of children in May 2018.

Bromley Magistrates' Court heard that in September 2019, officers received intelligence that a Category A indecent video of a child had been uploaded to the internet.

Research showed it had been uploaded by Mortlock, who was arrested at his home on suspicion of making and distributing indecent images of children.

A number of items, including a phone and hard drive were seized from the property, and a large amount of indecent images of children found on these devices.

Mortlock pleaded guilty to three charges of making an indecent image, distributing an indecent image and attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence on Wednesday February 12.

He was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, 4 March. He will remain on the sex offenders' register for life.

Detective Constable Katie Slee, from South East Safeguarding, said: Mortlock is a repeat offender and despite being under supervision continued to download horrific images of children.

He has never shown any remorse for his behaviour and did all he could to stop police gaining access to the items seized from his address.

"We are pleased he is now behind bars and will have no access to any devices which allow him to facilitate any further crimes.

An spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said: Mortlock has committed a number of appalling offence that typify the horrific trade in child abuse images currently taking place online.

Law enforcement cannot solve this problem alone.

"Big tech must also be made to use their expertise and resources to quickly remove this terrible content from their platforms and identify who put it there in the first place.

Description

A "dangerous" paedophile has been jailed for sexually assaulting a teenage boy at knifepoint in woodland next to Basingstoke Canal more than 35 years ago.

The then 13-year-old was walking along the towpath at around mid-morning on April 26, 1982, when Ian David Harmer, now 63, asked if he had seen his dog.

Harmer then told the victim he had a knife and the boy immediately felt pressure in his lower back leading him to believe he was telling the truth.

The teenager was then directed into woodland next to the towpath where he was sexually assaulted.

Harmer made off after telling the boy to count to a certain number before getting up.

The teenager ran home and told his parents what had happened, and they reported it to police.

New forensic techniques

Although a thorough investigation was carried out at the time, Harmer was not identified.

However, the case was kept under regular review and in 2016, with the development of new forensic techniques, samples taken from the victim were compared to profiles held on the national DNA database and came up with a match for Harmer.

Officers tracked him down and he was arrested and charged with buggery - now defined as rape under legislation changed - in February 2017.

Harmer, of Aspen Lane, Northolt, Ealing, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment, reduced to 11 years after he pleaded guilty, when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on February 19.

A 'dangerous predator'

Detective Inspector Paddy Mayers, who led the investigation, said: Harmer was a dangerous predator who took advantage of an innocent teenage boy in broad daylight.

"The victim was left severely traumatised by his ordeal and has had to endure more than 35 years of thinking his attacker would never be caught.

Fortunately, when the case was reviewed in 2016, the advances in forensic techniques meant that samples taken from the victim at the time could be compared to profiles held on the national DNA database and Harmer was identified as being responsible.

This has enabled us to finally bring him to justice for the heinous crime he committed that day and will hopefully allow the victim to begin to move on with his life.

Harmer thought he had got away with it, but this case demonstrates that no matter how long ago a crime took place, we will never give up in our pursuit to bring the person responsible to justice.

Description

An absconding registered sex offender who is "a risk" to young women and girls was last seen in east London.

Daniel Joslin, 40, is wanted after failing to comply with a registered sex offender notification and a breach of court bail, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The force said Joslin was last seen in east London and also has a previous connection with Kent, but he may have travelled anywhere in the country.

Joslin is described as a white male, 6ft 1ins tall and of slim build. Police say he is known to use a number of aliases.

A Met spokesperson said: "He has previously targeted young women and girls and is considered to be a risk to both.

"If Joslin is seen do not approach him but call 999 immediately."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC. Please quote 3602/17FEB.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.