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Detectives are seeking a man convicted of raping a woman in east London after he was sentenced in his absence.

William White, 24 (09.08.98) of Paragon Road, Hackney was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 1 August to five-and-a-half years' imprisonment for one count of rape and one count of sexual assault by touching.

White failed to appear at the hearing and is now wanted by police. Detectives are keen to hear from anyone who knows where he is.

White was found guilty on Friday, 19 May after a nine day trial, which saw the victim-survivor bravely attend court to give evidence in front of her attacker.

White will be placed on the Sex Offender Register for life and will be managed by specialist officers when he is released from prison.

Detective Constable Jamie Merrill, the investigating officer, said: “White subjected the victim to a horrifying ordeal when she was asleep and vulnerable.

“Throughout the trial he attempted to mislead the court about his actions, but the 12 men and women of the jury correctly identified his dishonesty and convicted him unanimously of rape.

“Significant resources are being brought to bear to apprehend White so he can face justice. I urge anybody with information about White’s whereabouts to contact police immediately.”

On 17 January 2020, the victim attended White’s address in Hackney with a friend for a social gathering. She described for the court how she had trusted White, having already known him through friends.

The victim fell asleep at the address and later woke to find White raping her. She reported the incident to police on 19 January 2020.

White was arrested by detectives two days later and an extensive investigation was carried out across London and the south-east. He was charged with the offence on 20 December 2021.

DC Merrill added: “I hope that today’s sentence will bring a small measure of peace to the victim and a sense that justice has been served.”

White had also been charged with a further count of rape in relation to a second victim. He was found not guilty of that offence.

PC Rita Stepanoviene, a specialist officer who worked on the case supporting the victim-survivor, added: “I wish to thank this young lady and her close friend who came forward to provide the crucial evidence needed to convict White.

"They have both been incredibly brave, and by coming forward they have undoubtedly protected others from being targeted by this dangerous individual.

"We hope this case shows we will always take reports of this nature incredibly seriously. We would urge any others who may have been subject to these types of offences to come forward and speak to us - at the very least so that we can make sure you are supported."

Record details

A rapist who crept into bed and sexually assaulted his flatmate as she slept has been jailed for 14 years.

Andrew White, 33, was found to have choked the woman, in her 30s, after she woke up in the middle of the attack at the address they shared in Lambeth and tried to pull away.

Police rushed on June 18, last year after the victim reported the rape and are now looking for any other potential survivors of White to come forward.

The victim alleges she had been asleep when she awoke to find White behind her. His genitals were exposed and her trousers had been pulled down.

When she moved away from him White then put his hands around her neck in a choke hold.

On arrest officers searched White and found him in possession of cannabis.

He was taken into custody where he strenuously denied the allegations.

Detectives gathered witness testimony, video and forensic evidence that would ultimately prove White’s guilt.

DC Mariama Connell said: “The victim lived in the same address as White but was not in any sort of relationship with him. She was asleep and White saw this as an opportunity to attack her for his own sexual gratification.

“I know she continues to live with the impact of what happened to this day. It is my hope that knowing White has received a significant custodial term will provide her some small measure of comfort.

“In the pre-sentencing report White was assessed as someone who posed a high risk of significant harm to adult women. As a result we believe it may be possible that there are more victims of White who have yet to come forward.

“I urge any potential victims to make contact with us immediately. We will listen to you, we will act and we will do everything we can to bring you justice.”

White, of Walworth Road SE1, was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Monday.

He had been convicted at a hearing in May of one count of rape, one count of non-fatal strangulation and possession of a class B drug at an earlier hearing.

Record details

A man who sexually assaulted a woman on Brighton beach has been given a two-year sentence.

A Metropolitan Police officer has been jailed after being found guilty of sexual assault against a woman whilst on his stag do in East Sussex. Sergeant Laurence Knight, from Leyton in East London, attached to Met Detention, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, June 29 of one count of sexual assault. He was sentenced to two years - one behind bars and one on licence - on Friday, July 28.

After his conviction, Knight resigned from his position at the Met. He was found guilty of sexual assault but not guilty of rape. Knight was also issued with a restraining order and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Knight had been on his stag do in Brighton when he sexually assaulted the woman in her 20s in the sea, on July 16, 2021. The incident was reported to Sussex Police who launched an investigation. Knight was identified as a suspect and arrested on July 28, 2021 on suspicion of rape and sexual assault.

According to Sussex Police, the woman and Knight had a verbal confrontation which concluded with the stag group leaving the beach, and she reported the incident to the police on the same day. The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards was informed, and he was suspended from duty. Now that criminal proceedings have concluded he is set to face an accelerated misconduct hearing on Thursday, August 3.

Chief Superintendent Peter Gardner, responsible for Met Detention, said: "Knight's actions were thoroughly reprehensible and I recognise his behaviour would have further damaged the public's trust in the police. I also recognise the significant impact this would have had on the victim, and I praise her for coming forward.

Record details

Withers, 68 of Bowes Road, New Southgate appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, 27 July where, following a week-long trial he was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of sexual offences against two children.

Withers was arrested in December 2020 after two victims bravely contacted Essex Police to report offences which took place between 2002 and 2020 in Harwich.

Following an investigation by our Child Abuse Investigation Team, Withers was charged with indecent assault of a girl under 13, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13 and assault of a girl under 13.

He pleaded not guilty and following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, was found guilty of all offences and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Record details

A photographer who raped a woman at his central London studio may have attacked others, police have said.

Sritharan Sayanthan, 42, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of two counts of rape and one of attempted rape at Hendon Crown Court.

The victim, a woman in her 30s, went to Sayanthan's studio on Brompton Road in May 2022 and paid for pictures to be taken.

She met him again on 8 July 2022 for a drink, believing it to be part of a networking process after he contacted her online, Scotland Yard said.

They met at a pub in Warren Street where Sayanthan "encouraged her to drink alcohol which made her intoxicated very quickly", police said.

The Met added: "He then led the victim to his studio. Here she blacked out on the studio floor. When partially awake she was aware of Sayanthan sexually assaulting her. She was unable to respond verbally or physically."

The victim, a Chinese national, went to police on 31 July 2022.

She did not go earlier because she was unfamiliar with how rape is investigated in the UK, officers said.

CCTV was discovered showing her "noticeably unsteady on her feet".

Scotland Yard said: "Statements were gathered from studio staff and further research uncovered several other photography businesses owned by the suspect."

Detective Constable Sophie Baker said officers "believe there could be other victims of Sayanthan" and are encouraging "anyone who wants to speak to us to come forward".

She added: "No piece of information is too small and you will be listened to and supported."

DC Baker praised the victim, too, describing her as "fantastic from start to finish".

She sent on: "She was extremely nervous at the prospect of giving evidence but, with the support of an interpreter, she told the court in fine detail what happened.

"For victims, describing the incident in court can be daunting but she did amazingly and I am personally very proud of her bravery and thankful to her for coming forward."

Record details

A CHILD rapist who forced a girl to engage in a sexual act as their little secret has been jailed for more than 13 years.

Mark Smith, 30, has been sentenced to 13 years and 6 months after admitting rape and assault by penetration.

He must serve an extended licence period of one year.

The man had forced a girl to engage in a sexual act at an address on Canvey on June 4, 2016.

The victim reported to Essex Police that he had threatened her to make her go through with it and told her that it was their little secret.

She said she felt to embarrassed and scared to tell anyone what happened and was left feeling it was her fault.

As a result of the assault, the victim experienced significant struggles with her mental health to the point that she needed professional help.

It was at that point, in August 2019, that the offences were disclosed to Essex Police.

Smith, of Florian Avenue, Sutton, was arrested following month and when initially interviewed denied remembering the incident stating he couldnt recall if he was at the address on that day.

He was later charged with rape and assault by penetration and admitted the offences at Basildon Crown Court on March 30, 2022.

He was also sentenced for a separate count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity without consent.

This offence was committed by Smith while on court bail, in January 2022.

Det Con, Victoria Leese, the investigating officer from the child abuse investigating team, said: I want to praise the courage shown by the victim in this case, who went through an awful ordeal which has had a long-lasting impact.

No-one should experience what she has, and she has shown incredibly bravery in telling us what happened.

Mark Smith threatened her and forced her to take part in a sexual act. His actions are despicable, and I am please he has now been held accountable for them.

I hope this result will help the victim move forward.

I would also pay tribute to the family of the victims, whose bravery and trust in the police and throughout this process has been steadfast.

For more information about how to get support, visit synergyessex.org.uk

Record details

A sick Metropolitan Police officer has been spared jail after he paid for videos of babies being sexually abused.

PC Darren Hourigan, 51, claimed he may have been hacked after he was caught accessing a portal which included 3,490 videos and 295 still images of children.

The portal included videos of babies as young as one being sexually abused.

PC Hourigan, of Coteford Street in Tooting, was a serving officer in the South Area Command Unit, which covers Bromley, Croydon and Sutton, when he was caught with the images.

In March 2020 the Mets Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse team found that two email addresses attributed to PC Hourigan had accessed the portal.

When he was arrested at his home in March 2020 he told colleagues he had no idea about the images.

The portal included four folders with child abuse images, including one titled baby and another titled 1 to 5.

In a second interview, PC Hourigan said he had used the file sharing platform to view cycling and athletics videos.

He continued to deny ever viewing indecent images of children but said I may have been hacked.

PC Hourigan eventually admitted his offending on April 26 when he pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent images of children.

On Friday (July 7) he appeared at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court where Judge Barklem gave him a 10 month prison sentence suspended for one year.

This means he will not see a prison cell unless he offends again during that period.

He was suspended from duties before he was charged on September 21 last year. He later resigned from the police force.

Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, in charge of policing in South Area, said: We have made it clear that the Met will take action against any of its staff who are not fit to remain within the organisation, and we will now prepare for a misconduct hearing.

We are committed to providing Londoners with a Met that they deserve; one that upholds the law on the streets of the capital and amongst its own ranks.

The vast majority of the thousands of police officers and staff are striving to take this forward those who wont are not worthy to remain.

Record details

A man has been jailed for raping a child over a period of time between 2006 and 2008.

Paul Hunt – 35 (19.09.87) of no fixed abode was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment following a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, 29 June. He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Hunt had been found guilty of rape and sexual assault of the girl, who was under the age of 13 at the time of the offences, at the conclusion of a trial on Friday, 16 June.

The court heard how Hunt knew the girl and groomed her over the course of several visits to the house he was staying at in Stratford at the time.

On various occasions between 2006 and 2008, Hunt raped and sexually assaulted the girl. He told her that no one would believe her if she told anyone about the abuse.

However, in 2018 the girl, by now an adult, confronted Hunt and reported the matters to police. Officers undertook an investigation which involved gathering evidence and witness statements from over ten years previously. 

Hunt was arrested but refused to answer questions during his police interview. However, he was charged and subsequently found guilty at court.

DI Jeremy McDermott of the North East Command Unit said: “Hunt exploited and took advantage of a vulnerable child on numerous occasions. He told the victim that she would not be believed. Despite this, she showed commendable bravery in coming forward and providing such strong evidence to police and at the trial. I hope that the sentence handed down will bring her a small measure of comfort and a sense that justice has been done.

"I would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual crime to come forward and speak to police; they will be supported and their voice too can be heard.”

Record details

A sexual predator has been sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court last Thursday (22 June).

Michael Morgan, 35, from Hounslow, London, was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of voyeurism against two separate victims when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 31 March.

The extensive investigation into Morgan began when he was reported to police on suspicion of rape. It was later discovered that he had encouraged a 14-year-old to drink alcohol so that he could groom her and commit the offence of rape.

In a separate incident, Morgan also filmed himself engaging in a sexual act without consent with a woman in her 20s. The two offences were tried in conjunction at his trial at Guildford Crown Court.

Morgan was given a sentence of 11 years and 6 months for the rape offence and a 6-month sentence for the voyeurism offence that is to run concurrently.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Connor Leney, said: “Morgan’s behaviour has impacted many lives, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the bravery and courage of both victims who have helped put this man behind bars for a long time.

“This investigation and sentencing shows that we will work tirelessly to ensure sexual predators face the consequences of their actions.

“If there is anyone reading this who has been a victim of sex abuse, I would encourage you to speak to us. We will do everything we can to support you.”

Record details

A rapist who forced himself on a woman who he met on a dating app has been jailed.

Three months following the attack, Ryan Mulhern, of Hornsey Lane in Highgate, was sentenced to eight years’ and nine months imprisonment for rape and attempted rape.

Police were called to Hornsey Lane on March 21 at 9.50pm after a member of the public found the victim, 25, crying and saying she had just been raped.

She explained she met Mulhern on a dating app and went to his house to meet up.

Whilst there, he raped the victim and she repeatedly told him to stop, but he continued.

Officers searched multiple addresses and were initially unable to find Mulhern – but he was eventually arrested in Islington the day after on March 22.

The victim’s impact statement was read out in court, where she wrote: “I reported you because it was the right thing to do.

“Even now, I do not feel hatred towards you and am saddened that we are in such a situation.

“However, I hate that your actions have made me feel unsafe, empty, and unworthy of others' respect. I have to deal with the impact of your violence for the foreseeable future.

“This rape is a tragedy that could have and should have been avoided. Even if you struggle to feel remorse towards me, I hope you can understand the hurt you have caused to the ones closest to you and yourself.”

Mulhern appeared on Friday (June 23) at Snaresbrook Crown Court after pleading guilty to both offences on April 21.

Detective Sergeant Sam Lockstone, who led the investigation, said: "I hope the significant sentence handed down encourages other victims of rape to come forward, and brings the rape survivor in this case a sense of closure and justice.

“I am incredibly proud of my team for supporting the victim throughout this investigation with such professionalism.

"Arresting, charging and seeing Mulhern jailed within just three months of the incident shows the dedication and commitment our teams have in pursuing justice for these horrific offences."

Record details

A junior doctor has been jailed for six years for his role in a dark web chat site dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.

Kabir Garg, 33, from Lewisham, south-east London, pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to facilitating the exploitation of children.

Until he was arrested in November, he had been working as a psychiatrist for South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.

Garg had acted as a "moderator" of the site, the court had heard.

This involved overseeing the running of the site, which included giving advice in private messages on how to share images.

When he was arrested, the National Crime Agency (NCA) found thousands of indecent images on a laptop and SD card at his flat which had 522 category A images, which is the most serious category.

Examinations of his devices also uncovered numerous medical journals and articles that discussed the psychological impact of child sexual abuse on a child, which the NCA said showed he understood the "devastating impact such actions have on children".

'No choice'

Bethany Raine, specialist prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service's Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said his crimes were "especially shocking given his role as a NHS psychiatrist, treating vulnerable members of the public, and his understanding of the psychological impact of sexual abuse on children."

She added: "When faced with the evidence of his crimes, Garg had no choice but to plead guilty."

She said the case illustrated the determination of investigators and the CPS to pursue child sexual offenders, including those who have moved their "vile activity onto the dark web".

"These sites are horrific and have no place in society," she added.

At a hearing on 9 January 2023, Garg pleaded guilty to one count of facilitating the exploitation of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possession of a prohibited image of children.

After Garg was jailed on Friday, the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said it hoped it the sentence brought a "sense of justice and closure to all those impacted by his deplorable actions".

The General Medical Council (GMC) confirmed that Garg is interim suspended "pending the conclusion of a full GMC investigation".

Upon the completion of the investigation, the GMC can refer the case to a full tribunal hearing where it will be decided if Garg will be struck off.

Record details

A child rapist has been jailed after detectives led an international manhunt to track him down.

Abbas Alsaed, 28, from Kingsbury, pleaded guilty to eight counts of rape and sexual assault at Harrow Crown Court on 1 December 2022 and was sentenced on Wednesday to 14 years in prison.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

The Met Police said Alsaed met his victim, an 11-year-old girl, in Fryent Country Park, Wembley in May 2021 when he told her he was a child protection officer and proceeded to befriend the victim before taking her mobile phone number.

He then met her in the park over the following year where he raped and sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions.

Police were called after concerns were raised by a member of staff at the victim’s school but Alsaed fled the country before he could be arrested.

Officers from the Met’s Predatory Offender Unit tracked him to the Netherlands and he was then arrested at St Pancras station when he returned to the country on August 15 last year.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Qamar Islam from the North West Command Unit said: “Alsaed is a dangerous and manipulative individual, who took advantage of a vulnerable child in order to carry out terrible crimes, which will live with the victim forever.

“I would like to commend the courage and bravery of the victim, who after enduring such traumatic abuse, spoke with officers and found the strength to assist with this investigation.

“These crimes were reported to the Met in June 2022 and resulted in an arrest less than two months later. A successful investigation ensued due to diligent and efficient work by a number of officers involved in this case.

“I truly hope that the result today will reassure victims of rape and sexual assault, that we will do everything within our power to investigate and prosecute predatory men at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Record details

A FORMER deputy head teacher at a prominent London school previously attended by royals has pleaded guilty to financially rewarding Indian teenagers for sending him indecent images of children.

Matthew Smith, 34, from East Dulwich, admitted to 22 charges, including having instructed teenagers in India online to abuse younger children while he was working in Nepal.

The “prolific offender” who appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday (20) will be sentenced on August 4.

Smith, who briefly worked at the £20,000-a-year Thomas’s Battersea school in London where Prince George and Princess Charlotte once studied, was arrested in November last year after investigators discovered that he had been sharing abuse material on the dark web during his stay in Nepal.

He was online at the time of his arrest, speaking to a boy living in India and asking him to send sexual images of a younger child, in return for money, the National Crime Agency said.

Officers recovered more than 120,000 indecent images of children which the Oxford University graduate had saved on a laptop, SD card and on his phone.

Smith was remanded in custody, charged with five offences, including causing the sexual exploitation of a child under 13.

Investigators established that Smith had paid the boy and another teenager, also based in India, £65,398 to abuse children over five years.

He worked in orphanages and non-governmental organisations across India between 2007-2014 before he shifted to Nepal where taught at Kathmandu’s British School.

He returned to London in July 2022 and started working at Thomas’s Battersea where he was a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care before he was fired two months later.

Investigators found that Smith would instruct the young men via chat logs to perform sexual acts on boys and would send them images and videos as examples of ones he would like to receive in return.

He also told one of them how to befriend children and build their trust with a view to abuse them, the NCA said.

Information and evidence of potential offending by Smith against children while working in India have been shared with relevant law enforcement partners.

However, there is no evidence to suggest he committed offences against children based in Nepal or Britain.

Claire Brinton, a specialist in the Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service said Smith’s crimes were “particularly disturbing” given his role as a primary school teacher.

“Thousands of images and videos were recovered from his devices which showed an appalling catalogue of sexual abuse being perpetrated on children,” she said.

A Thomas’s Battersea spokesperson said the school was “shocked and appalled beyond measure” by Smith’s actions and thanked the investigators for bringing him to justice.

His employment at the school, which began in September 2022, was terminated soon after it learned of the charges against him in November, the spokesperson said.

Record details

Two men who kidnapped two women have been jailed and one will be on the sex offender register for life. 

The Met said both men laughed in their police interviews when shown CCTV footage of their attack and told the officers the women had consented.

At around 5.30am on July 16, 2022, both Dhari Alshammari, 28 of Hester Road, Wandsworth, and Badr Alhadidi, 39, of Talbot Street, Birmingham, targeted two women in a nightclub along Albert Embankment in Vauxhall, first approaching them on the dance floor. 

CCTV footage inside the club showed Alshammari pour a vodka into some glasses while Alhadidi waited for the women outside the toilets.

All four left the club around 6am when Alhadidi and Alshammari forced the victims into a car.

They drove the women to an address at Beauchamp Mansions, Kensington. Further CCTV footage nearby showed Alshammari drag one of the victim-survivors along the pavement. Both were forced through a doorway where they collapsed.

Inside the property Alshammari raped one of the women. After he went to a nearby McDonald’s to order food before returning to his home address.

Later that morning, Alhadidi drove the woman to a petrol station in another area of London and left them. 

One of the victims reported to police they had been on a night out and couldn’t remember a portion of the evening. She stated she remembered being pinned down in a car and sexually assaulted in a room.

Officers began an investigation which led them to identify and arrest the two men two days after the attack.

Alhadidi was sentenced to six-and-a-half years for kidnap at Isleworth Crown Court last Wednesday.

Alshammari was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years for rape and kidnap. He will be on the sex offender register for life. 

Detective Sergeant Tony Larkin, who led the investigation, said: “Alhadidi and Alshammari are two predators who set out that night with only one sinister intention in mind. 

“They had a clear plan of how they were going to target the victims and thought they could get away with it. 

“They’ve shown no remorse and have no idea how much harm and distress they have caused. 

“The CCTV footage reviewed as part of our investigation was harrowing and showed real violence and monstrous treatment of the victims.

“I would like to thank the victims in coming forward and reporting this to police, they have been extremely brave.”

Record details

A landlord who secretly filmed his female lodger in the bath and had thousands of indecent images of children on his phone has been jailed. Oliver Fay, 45, had been subletting one of the rooms in his council flat to the woman for at least three years after she saw it advertised online.

Fay covertly recorded her in intimate circumstances whilst she was sleeping and in the bathroom. Various images showed that on some occasions he had hidden his mobile phone in a small black vanity drawer and the end of the bath.

Fay was caught when the National Crime Agency (NCA) received information that linked him to uploading indecent images of children to the internet. When the police went to Fay’s home address in Bethnal Green, east London, several of his electronic devices were seized from his bedroom and were examined whilst he was in custody.

There was a total of 9,831 indecent images of children, including 1,200 of which were the most serious category. Whilst reviewing his phone officers quickly identified that he had been recording his lodger.

Fay was arrested at the address for voyeurism and indecent images offences. He pleaded guilty in January, and was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for six counts of voyeurism between September 2019 and August last year when he appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday.

Fay was also jailed for three counts of making indecent images of children of category A, B and C and received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Category A refers to images involving penetrative sexual activity, while category B are images that involve non-penetrative sexual activity.

Category C includes any other indecent image that does not fall into the other two categories. He will also be required to sign the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely.

Sentencing Fay, Judge Caroline English told him: “Anyone involved in such imagery, whether in the production, distribution or simple download is quite literally plummeting into the depths of depravity. Make no mistake, anyone who downloads or views such imagery is complicit in the abuse of those children because you provide and perpetuate a market for such material. You should be thoroughly ashamed.”

Investigating officer PC Lindsey England said: “Oliver Fay used his mobile phone to take images of his lodger over a period of at least three years. This was the grossest violation of her privacy and it cannot be overstated how horrific it must have been to learn that her home had not been the safe place she thought it was.

“I would like to commend her bravery and I hope that she can now begin to find a degree of closure and move forward with her life."

PC England added: “Fay’s sexual interests and predatory behaviour is deeply concerning and he paid no regard to the distress and humiliation that this would cause. I would like to encourage anyone who has concerns that they have been secretly recorded to please contact the Police and they will be supported."