Latest Offenders London

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Alan Luckhurst groped two 17-year-old students that were working with him in hair salons.

A “predatory” hairdresser that sexually assaulted two teenagers working in his salon has not been sent to jail. Alan Luckhurst, who is an award-winning hairstylist, assaulted two 17-year-old girls in two separate salons in Twickenham in 2017 and Sutton in 2021.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the father-of-two had been charged and bailed for the initial groping, before the second occurred.

Luckhurst may have other victims, the Met has said. The force is now appealing for them to come forward.

Married man Luckhurst told Kingston Crown Court he was “just a tactile person”.

However last Monday he was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

A 17-year-old girl told authorities about the sexual assault which took place when she was on a placement at the Twickenham hairdressers.

Luckhurst was removed from the establishment following his arrest. Having been charged in October 2019, he then founded a new business in Sutton in Greater London.

Two years after that another 17-year-old girl went to police and said he’d sexually assaulted her when she was an apprentice in the salon.

The teenager said she was touched by Luckhurst within a matter of weeks of starting at the business.

He felt the breasts of the first victim repeatedly and also put his hand between her legs.

Luckhurst also put his groin against her bottom.

The second victim also had her breasts groped by Luckhurst, who made her touch him between his legs.

With the exception of one incident where he forced his hand under the second victim’s bra, all of his offences involved groping over the girls’ clothing.

Following a trial in January, Luckhurst was found guilty of eight counts of sexual assault and two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Additionally, the hairdresser of Worcester Park, south-west London, received a sexual harm prevention order preventing him from employing anyone under 18 or acting as their boss.

The sex offender won ‘Retailer of the Year’ in 2013 while manager of a salon in Richmond, in the south-west of the capital.

Detective Constable Natalie Alchin, who led the investigation into the stylist, said: “Luckhurst completely abused his position as manager of these young women and took advantage of being alone with them during their time at work.

“It is clear that the offences he committed have had a serious and significant impact on both their personal and professional lives.

“They have shown tremendous bravery, both in coming forward to police and then giving evidence at court.”

DC Alchin noted that officers believe that there could be other young victims of Luckhurst’s “predatory behaviour”.

She said: “We believe there may be other young women who may have worked with Luckhurst and been victim to his predatory behaviour.

“We would urge anyone who believes that to be the case to come forward and speak to us. We have specialist support in place and will listen to everything you have to say.”

Description

A twisted paedophile who took pictures of himself abusing two young children has been jailed as the families of his victims speak about their horrible ordeal in waiting five years for justice to be served.

David Collins, 52, had abused two young children over a period of several years and was found with hundreds of indecent images of them, including selfies taken as he was carrying out the sexual assaults. Following a trial at Croydon Crown Court, he was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault by touching of two children under 13-years-old.

He has now been jailed for five years for his clever and conniving behaviour, which has torn apart the lives of his victims and their heartbroken families. Speaking to MyLondon, one family member said that they had been crushed by his actions and that the five-year long wait for a conviction had impacted the victims mental health.

His first victim, who MyLondon will refer to as Child A to protect their anonymity, first came forward with the abuse in 2017, after confiding in a schoolfriend. Their mum soon became aware, and as preliminary investigations into Collins began, Child B came forward and informed ]their] parents that they too had been abused.

Collins, a former game developer for Sony, had sexually assaulted his victims while they were sitting on his lap, using an iPad as a smokescreen to cover his actions. Upon his arrest, 844 pictures of Child B were discovered on his devices as well as other compromising images of Child A.

Speaking to MyLondon, a relative of Child A said: I watched [them] change from being this full of life, bubbly young kid to a sad, depressed [child]. I remember taking [them] out once and we got the photos [from the outing] back and [they] just looked dead behind the eyes. Its one of the hardest things Ive seen.

After reporting the abuse to the police in 2017, it took five years for Collins to be placed on trial, increasing the stress and strain upon his young victims. It's taken five long years, its shocking, the relative said. That is what has done half of the mental health damage because the whole long process of it all and it being years before they were interviewed again.

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BY HOLLY EVANS
14:22, 23 MAR 2023UPDATED15:08, 23 MAR 2023
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David Collins has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of abusing two children
David Collins has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of abusing two children (Image: Handout)
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A twisted paedophile who took pictures of himself abusing two young children has been jailed as the families of his victims speak about their horrible ordeal in waiting five years for justice to be served.

David Collins, 52, had abused two young children over a period of several years and was found with hundreds of indecent images of them, including selfies taken as he was carrying out the sexual assaults. Following a trial at Croydon Crown Court, he was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault by touching of two children under 13-years-old.

He has now been jailed for five years for his clever and conniving behaviour, which has torn apart the lives of his victims and their heartbroken families. Speaking to MyLondon, one family member said that they had been crushed by his actions and that the five-year long wait for a conviction had impacted the victims mental health.

His first victim, who MyLondon will refer to as Child A to protect their anonymity, first came forward with the abuse in 2017, after confiding in a schoolfriend. Their mum soon became aware, and as preliminary investigations into Collins began, Child B came forward and informed ]their] parents that they too had been abused.

Collins, a former game developer for Sony, had sexually assaulted his victims while they were sitting on his lap, using an iPad as a smokescreen to cover his actions. Upon his arrest, 844 pictures of Child B were discovered on his devices as well as other compromising images of Child A.

Speaking to MyLondon, a relative of Child A said: I watched [them] change from being this full of life, bubbly young kid to a sad, depressed [child]. I remember taking [them] out once and we got the photos [from the outing] back and [they] just looked dead behind the eyes. Its one of the hardest things Ive seen.

After reporting the abuse to the police in 2017, it took five years for Collins to be placed on trial, increasing the stress and strain upon his young victims. It's taken five long years, its shocking, the relative said. That is what has done half of the mental health damage because the whole long process of it all and it being years before they were interviewed again.

As well as awaiting years for the trial, the families were also told at short notice on two occasions that the sentencing date had been changed, causing further anxiety. It shouldnt be hush-hush, he shouldnt be getting any leniency on this. Weve been checking the sex offenders register, he still hasnt been put on there. Everything regarding this case has been wrong, she said.

While the family of Child A welcomed his five-year prison sentence, the impact on his victim has been enormous and they have been unable to continue attending school. It came out in [their] statement how [they] wanted to kill [themself], [they] didnt want to be here anymore. It's given [them] epilepsy and although theyre saying that would have been lying dormant, the trauma of this is what has triggered it, she said.

He gets to serve two years, come out and move away and he can start his life all over again while there are people out there who have been crushed by this.

Both families are concerned however that further victims may have not come forward, and are urging anyone with information to contact the police. A relative of Child B said: We dont believe that he woke up at the age of 40 and decided Im going to play with a child today. We believe there are more victims. The reason for the victims doing this is that they want to prevent this from happening again.

She continued: We believe he didnt get long enough for the crimes that he committed, his face was actually in the photographs and you could see what he was doing. I personally dont believe it was long enough however is any sentence going to be long enough? Would life be long enough? No, because hes going to get out.

Collins, of Byrnes Road, Croydon, has been jailed for five years and has been made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A West Yorkshire takeaway owner has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after he admitted sexually assaulting and raping a young woman after he “plied her with alcohol” at his Shipley premises.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Tuesday that some parts of Sivaganeshan Pardeep’s prolonged attack on his victim had been captured on CCTV footage and at one point he was filmed walking about the premises without his trousers on. The 37-year-old, who had also been drinking alcohol that night, maintained that he could not recollect what had happened and even after being shown the CCTV footage he claimed that there had been no sexual contact between them.

But in January, less than a fortnight before his victim was due to be cross-examined ahead of his trial, Pardeep indicated that he would be pleading guilty to the charges of rape and two sexual assaults.

At one point during the footage his victim appeared to be trying to fend him off with a knife, but she then dropped it and collapsed to the floor. The court heard that married Pardeep, of Barnard Gardens, New Malden, London, had no previous convictions and as a result of his jail sentence he will now have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Judge Andrew Hatton said the complainant, who must not be identified for legal reasons, had very quickly started to feel drowsy after drinking some of the alcohol. He told Pardeep: “You began to speak to her about problems in your marriage and then over the course of the next two or three hours when she was at times almost unconscious, and throughout under the influence of the alcohol with which you had plied her, you engaged in a variety of sex acts with her."

He said the woman had been crying and feeling faint as Pardeep attempted to kiss her and he had then removed her underwear.

“She was screaming and felt unable to breathe,” said Judge Hatton. It was said that at times Pardeep had been physically manipulating his victim’s body when she was either intoxicated or unwell. After the attack Pardeep had offered to take the woman home, but she ran from the premises and reported what had happened.

Pardeep denied there had been any sexual contact following his arrest, but his barrister Gillian Batts said he now accepted the strong scientific evidence along with the CCTV footage. She added: “He instructs me that he is sorry about what he has done."

Jailing Pardeep Judge Hatton said it had been a “prolonged and sustained” incident. He told him: “Your victim was particularly vulnerable due to the fact that you had plied her with alcohol and it was apparent to you the impact that the alcohol had had upon her."

The judge said the victim personal statement demonstrated that the offences had had a significant impact on the complainant.

Description

Leon Ward, 49, of New Addington, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, 24 February where he was sentenced to ten years, to serve six years and eight months custodial, and the remainder on licence for the attempted rape and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for life. Ward had previously been convicted at the same court on Friday, 10 February.

The court heard how Ward had befriended the child in May 2020 when he had seen her in New Addington.

Further to some chance meetings, Ward soon began texting the victim and asking her to send compromising pictures of herself which she did not send.

On Monday, 18 May 2020 the victim agreed to meet with Ward for a walk into the woods, during which Ward assaulted her and attempted to rape her.

Ward was arrested on 18 May 2020 and was charged on 10 November 2021 with attempted rape of a 14 year old girl, three counts of sexual assault by penetration; two counts of sexual assault by touching and sexual communication with a child. All offences were committed against the same victim.

Detective Constable Jamie Munro, the investigating officer, said: “Ward took advantage of a vulnerable young girl believing that she would not tell anyone.

“Thankfully he was wrong. I applaud the bravery of the victim in coming forward. Her actions may have saved other potential victims from suffering the same offences.

“Identifying and apprehending those who commit violent offences against women and girls is a priority for us, and I urge anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to speak to police, at the very least to ensure you are supported.”

Description

A serial sex attacker who prowled tube stations before assaulting three women in two weeks is jailed for almost five years.

Mohammad Yahia Alloush, 26, attacked three commuters over the course of two weeks in 2021 and has now been sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison.

Alloush has also been banned from being within 50 metres of any tube, train or bus stop in London between 7pm and 7am for the next seven years after he was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

A detective on the case called Alloush a 'cowardly, predatory offender' at his sentencing at Harrow Crown Court.

His first attack on September 5 saw him loiter around Dollis Hill Underground Station in north west London for around 20 minutes.

CCTV caught him following a woman out of the station and down a number of streets before violently attacking and sexually assaulting her.

Just days later on September 11, the 26-year-old confronted a second woman leaving the same station.

He demanded money then sexually assaulted her before running away.

On September 16, Alloush was seen leaving Neasden Underground Station and then approached his third victim in a nearby alleyway.

He sexually assaulted her before stealing her headphones and fleeing the scene.

CCTV at Dollis Hill Station the night of his first attack was used to identify Alloush - because he tapped his Oyster card when he got back to the station following the attack.

The Oyster card he used was registered to his home address and police arrested him on his way to work.

During these searches offices found a distinctive black and white striped t-shirt worn in the first attack which has been seen on CCTV.

The headphones taken in the third attack were also found in his bedroom.

A DNA swab taken from the first victim was subsequently linked to Alloush.

Extensive work was also carried out on his mobile phone which put him near the locations of the attacks at the times they occurred.

Victims read impact statements out to the court which told how they had been left fearful of leaving their homes after dark.

One victim said they had taken to carrying a colour spray with which to spray any further attacker and a whistle to attract attention.

Detective Constable Matthew Chapman said: 'Mohammed Alloush is a cowardly, predatory offender, who appeared unafraid of attacking women who he had picked out near underground stations.

'His offending was apparently escalating when he was caught, and areas of North West London are all the safer for him being in prison.

'Alloush always denied involvement and I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victims who were ready to give evidence against him right up until the first day of trial when he changed his plea to guilty.'

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A 31-year-old man who drank himself into a stupor before knocking on a pensioners door and spontaneously sexually assaulting her is to have his jail sentence reviewed, after it was referred to the Attorney General under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Asadul Karim was jailed for nine months at Burnley Crown Court after being convicted at trial of sexual assault.

The court was told how on May 28, 2021, Karim, of Beveridge Mews in the Stepney Green area of London, was for some reason in Burnley and had found himself in an intoxicated state.

At around 9.45pm, he had knocked on the door of a 79-year-old womans house before entering and sexually assaulting her.

Karim was handed a nine month jail sentence and told to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

However, after a member of public asked for it to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme, his sentence is now under consideration by the office of Attorney General Victoria Prentis.

If the Attorney General deems his sentence to be 'unduly lenient', the case will be sent to the Court of Appeal, where his jail time could be extended.

If it is sent to the Court of Appeal under the scheme, the most senior judges in the land will then make a decision.

Karims sentence will either be increased, stay the same, or judges may refuse to hear the case.

Even if a case is passed on to the Court of Appeal it may not change the sentence.

A decision will be made in due course.

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A man from east London has been jailed for online blackmail, drug supply offences and distribution of indecent images of a child.

George Austin-Bohan, 28, threatened to post pictures of a child online which he had obtained without their knowledge.

In 2018 and 2020 he demanded money from two women online, threatening to publish indecent images of a child on Instagram, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

He was also convicted of possessing with intent to supply class A drugs cocaine and MDMA.

In September 2022 a Misuse of Drugs Act search warrant was executed at a residential address in Tower Hamlets. Drugs with an estimated street value of £10,000 - £15,000 were seized along with over £7,000 in cash.

Austin-Bohan, from Tower Hamlets, was arrested at the scene.

He was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment for three counts of blackmail Malicious communications Distribution of indecent images of children distribution and four drug supply counts.

He was also hit with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for 10 years.

His electronic devices were seized and upon forensic examination were found to contain digital evidence of the offences.

PC Lindsey England, investigating officer from the Met’s Central East Command said: “The offences committed in this case are vile and have been truly distressing for the victims. Austin-Bohan used multiple social media accounts in an attempt to conceal his identity and continued to deny his involvement throughout the investigation.

“There has been a considerable amount of investigative effort including vast digital forensic work involved in this case but without the victims’ bravery in coming forward Austin-Bohan could not have been brought to justice.

“I hope that the sentence handed down provides them with a sense of justice and I hope they can put these incidents behind them. Online sexual offences, both against children and adults are damaging in the extreme and I would urge people to report such crimes to police so that they can be investigated. Victims will be listened to and should know that there are many avenues of support available.”

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A paedophile who repeatedly abused a girl has been jailed. Dylan Alfie Cullen, 19, was locked up for more than nine years after admitting to a number of sexual offences against a child.

The Met Police was called in March 2022 to an address in Kingston after the girls family called the force. Cullen was arrested and taken into custody but declined to answer any questions when interviewed.

Cullen carried out his offending over an 18-month period, Met Police said. The girl he abused was known to him.

Cullen was charged and pleaded guilty on October 28 to the rape of a child under 13, two counts of sexual assault and two counts of encouraging a child to engage in sexual activity. All the offences relate to one female child.

Cullen, from Kingston, appeared at Harrow Crown Court on Thursday (February 23) for sentencing. He was jailed for nine and a half years with a further year to be served on licence.

Police praise 'strength' of victim and family

Detective Constable Annabel Leslie-Miller, of the Met Police, said: This has been an extremely challenging investigation but the successful outcome has only been possible thanks to the strength the girl and her family have shown throughout this process. I hope now that Cullen has been convicted and sentenced, they can begin to move on with their lives.

"I also hope it encourages anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse to come forward and speak to police. We have specially trained officers who can support you and investigate what has happened."

Description

A pervert who arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex was caught by online paedophile hunters who had been posing as the teenager.

Adam Gruter turned up at the KFC in Darlington in the hope of meeting the teenager but was confronted by members of the Child Online Safety Team who filmed the confrontation face-off.

Teesside Crown Court heard how a woman posing as the teenager had spent several days speaking with the defendant online before the conversation turned sexual and he sent her an indecent picture of himself.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the defendant had sent a number of messages on WhatsApp after befriending the decoy on Facebook.

She told the court how Gruter quizzed his potential victim about her virginity and bra size while asking her to send images of herself between October 9 and 20 last year.

The adult decoy told the defendant on several occasion that she was 14 and was living in the Newton Aycliffe area but that did not deter his behaviour, Miss Atkinson added.

She said: “They agreed to meet at KFC on Yarm Road, Darlington, after telling her he had booked a room at Bannatyne’s Hotel.”

After he was confronted by the paedophile hunters the police were called and he was arrested, the court heard.

The 43-year-old, of Elm Park Gardens, London, pleaded guilty to inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following grooming.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said his client had not been in the area specifically to just meet the ‘teenage girl’ as he was working for a wine company making deliveries all over the country.

Addressing the judge, he added: “He acknowledges that you will be minded to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

“This is unseaming and troubling behaviour which he has engage in.”

Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Gruter to 20 months in custody for both offences after acknowledging that the intended victim was not actually a 14-year-old girl.

He added: “During the exchanges... you demonstrated your intention to carry out this through to a sexual meeting by booking a hotel room.”

Gruter was also made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.

Description

A serial sex offender dubbed the 'Night Bus Beast' who continued to walk the streets following multiple police failings could soon be released from prison following an upcoming parole hearing.

Terrorising women as part of campaign of terror, Kirk Reid, now 58, was convicted of 26 indecent assaults and two rapes in 2009.

Targeting lone female passengers over a 23-year period in London, Reid's conviction exposed a series of failings by the Metropolitan Police.

Likened to the case of 'Black Cab Rapist' John Worboys in terms of the prolific nature of his offending, police failings saw him remain at large despite multiple arrest opportunities.

Now, the serial offender, who was given a life term and ordered to serve a minimum of seven-and-a-half years behind bars, has been transferred to an open prison following an earlier parole hearing.

It's a move that often precedes an offender being released on license.

The lowest category jail, open prisons allow for minimal security measures and the opportunity for visitors to work outside of the prison's walls.

According to the Daily Mail, Reid's new parole hearing is scheduled to take place in May 2023.

At the time of his conviction, Reid was described as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character by Judge Shani Barnes who was overseeing the case at Kingston Crown Court.

Despite being convicted of the 28 counts, the total number of victims is believed to be closer to 100.

It was revealed that Reid, who was a chef at the time, was identified as a suspect following a series of sex attacks in 2004, a name that was flagged to police at least 12 times without any further enquiries being launched.

Following the conviction, assistant Met commissioner John Yates conceded that multiple errors had been made in the handling of the case.

'Nothing can adequately excuse the failure to follow up straightforward lines of inquiry that should have seen Reid arrested at that time,' Yates wrote retrospectively in the Guardian in March 2009.

It was revealed that Reid, who was a chef at the time, was identified as a suspect following a series of sex attacks in 2004, a name flagged to police at least 12 times without further enquiries being launched.

Reid, also an amateur referee of women's football matches, targeting women walking alone or travelling on public transport.

He was only by change that Reid was brought to justice in January 2008 when the case was handed to a senior detective from the homicide and serious crime command unit who linked him using DNA.

Description

A teen girl who fought off a sex attacker in Surrey has been honoured with a bravery award. The girl - who was 15 at the time of the attack - kicked "dangerous sexual predator" Nathan Smith and managed to run away.

The teenager was walking through the alleyway next to Ewell station when she was approached from behind by a man who inappropriately touched her and tried to pin her to a fence. During her struggle to get away, the man punched her in the head.

She was able to kick him off and run home. Police used CCTV footage from the station and facial recognition software to identify the man as Smith, 32, of Revelon Road in Lewisham, London.

The hunt to find and arrest Smith came to an end a month later when he was arrested in London for shoplifting. He was flagged as wanted in the shared police database and was transferred to Surrey where he was questioned in connection with the sexual assault.

He denied the allegation and attempted to manipulate officers in his interview with confusing contradictions about why he was in the alleyway. However, during a trial at Guildford Crown Court, Smith’s movements that evening were shown to the jury.

CCTV captured him leaving Ewell station and scoping out the alleyway, walking up and down several times before returning to the train station. Moments later, he was seen to notice the victim get off a train and walk towards the alleyway when he then followed her.

Smith was found guilty of sexual assault and common assault at the same court on Friday (February 3). He was sentenced to six years in prison with a further four years to be served on license and will also be on the sex offenders' register for life.

The girl, who is now 16, was given the High Sheriff award by a Judge for her bravery in fighting off Smith.

Victim showed 'astounding bravery'

Detective Constable Nicola Dell, who investigated the case, said: “This result is testament to the victim who showed astounding bravery from the moment she fought him off, right through to court. Her testimony left the jury in no doubt of Smith’s abhorrent, pre-meditated intentions that day.

“Not only has she been through a terrifying ordeal, but she has also been able to excel at her exams whilst supporting our investigation, and I know that I, along with the officers in my team, are incredibly proud of her achievements. We were committed from the outset of this investigation to bringing Smith to justice, using every tool available to us to identify and arrest him.

"He is clearly a dangerous sexual predator and should not be allowed to threaten the safety of women and girls who have every right to walk home without fear."

The victim and her family commented: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Surrey Police, from the bottom of our hearts, for their care, support and professionalism in bringing this criminal to justice. Knowing that justice has been served will go a long way in starting the healing process.”

We would encourage all survivors of rape and sexual assault to come forward – whether directly to us, to a support service, or to someone you trust, such as a healthcare professional.

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A sex offender has been jailed after pressing his exposed genitals against a woman in front of her young daughter on a Tube train.

In December, a woman boarded a Picadilly Line train towards Knightsbridge with her 12-year-old daughter at around 6pm.

While on the train, the woman felt something press up against her from behind. Her daughter then saw Hasan Degirmenci pushing his groin against her mother with his trousers down and genitals exposed.

The 34-year-old has now been jailed for 16 months and put on the sex offenders’ register.

During the incident on 2 December, the woman confronted Degirmenci before they all got off the train at Knightsbridge station.

The woman and her daughter followed Degirmenci, who still had his trousers down, towards the ticket barriers. There they alerted station staff and Degirmenci was then arrested by British Transport Police.

Degirmenci, of Enfield, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on 20 December, where he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and one count of indecent exposure.

Last week, Degirmenci was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Inner London Crown Court and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order. He was also made to sign the sex offenders’ list for 10 years.

Detective Constable Kathryn Faine, investigating officer in the case, said: “This incident was extremely alarming and distressing both for the woman and her young daughter.

“He targeted the victim in a crowded environment for his own sexual gratification, and I hope his jail term sends a clear message to anyone who exhibits this type of behaviour on the network – it simply won’t be tolerated.”

Mandy McGregor, TfL’s head of policing and community safety, said: “This was an appalling incident. No one should ever experience sexual harassment on our network and we are working closely with the British Transport Police to make the transport network a hostile place for offenders.

“We urge anyone who experiences or witnesses this type of behaviour to report it to the police or a member of staff so that we can take action and prevent future offending. The earlier it is reported, the stronger the evidence we have to help ensure that perpetrators face justice.”

Description

A 21-year-old man from North West London has been jailed after he posed as a child to send young girls sexually explicit pictures.

Anthony Lonsdale, from Wembley, used fake profiles on social media platforms Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp to groom his targets.

He even met up with the young girls while dressed as either a schoolboy or schoolgirl.

Lonsdale once travelled to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire dressed as a schoolgirl to meet a young girl.

He managed to convince the girl's mother to let him stay over for the night, claiming he had no money to get home.

Lonsdale used the pseudonym 'Tia' to communicate with his targets before encouraging them to add an 'older brother' called 'Sam'.

He then used the 'Sam' profile to convince the young girl they were in a relationship, sending sexual images in the process.

Further investigations by police helped them identify two other girls from Nottinghamshire who Lonsdale had contacted.

Lonsdale once met a girl at Mcdonald's disguised as a female friend and tried to get in touch with her younger sister.

When he was blocked, Lonsdale used his other fake accounts to tell the girl he was suicidal and may die.

Police arrested Lonsdale in March 2022 after he was found posing as a schoolboy to try and enrol at a school near Ilkeston in Derbyshire.

While he was on bail, police found evidence relating to more offences on a mobile phone.

Lonsdale was having multiple conversations with teenage girls, and the device also held a number of nude photos.

Lonsdale pleaded guilty to eight counts of grooming and possession of sexually explicit images of children and received a seven-year prison sentence.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order and five-year restraining order were also put in place to prevent Lonsdale from getting in touch with his victims again.

Detective Sergeant Sophie Draycott of the Child Exploitation Investigation Unit said: “The lengths to which Lonsdale went to by creating several fake personas on social media, to build trust with the victims and even attempting to enroll at the same school as one of the teenagers is unbelievable.

“Behaviour such as this is intolerable, and I would like to recognise the courage of the young girls who worked with us as part of our investigation. As a result, Lonsdale is now facing the consequences of his actions.

“Keeping children and young people safe, both online and in the community, is one of our top priorities and we will continue to work tirelessly to protect them from harm.

"If you are worried or concerned about online child abuse, or for the safety or wellbeing of a child, you can report it to us and there are different ways you can get in touch. Even if you’re not 100 percent sure, please report your concerns. Your information could help our trained officers and staff protect the child."

If you suspect someone is in immediate danger, call 999 now. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergency SMS service.

Description

The man was found with 12,529 indecent images of children, including over 2,000 of the most serious category.

A man has been jailed after he secretly recorded naked women and children by hiding cameras in coat hangers and water bottles. Dean Gordon, 41, admitted sexually assaulting a young girl and taking indecent photographs of children, possession of extreme pornographic images and possession of a prohibited image of a child.

Police from the online child sex abuse and exploitation team (OCSAE), based in North East Borough Command Unit, carried out a search of Gordon's home in Leytonstone, east London, in August 2021 where they uncovered numerous videos of children being secretly recorded as well as camera devices hidden inside objects including a water bottle and coat hooks.

Officers seized over 200 exhibits over the three day search.

After analysing the devices police found a number of child and adult female victims, who were all known to Gordon, had been covertly recorded.

In total, Gordon had 12,529 indecent images of children, including over 2,000 of the most serious Category A images. This included 436 images of the numerous child victims he covertly recorded for his own sexual gratification.

The court heard that the 41-year-old befriended families with young female children and recorded them naked or semi-naked.

In one case, he sexually abused a young girl whilst she lay asleep and recorded himself abusing her.

Several videos of naked women were also found.

Gordon, of Rosewood Court, Leytonstone at his first appearence in court in August 2022.

On Wednesday he appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court where he was sentenced to six years and eight months’ imprisonment.

Following the hearing Detective Constable James Cronin of the OCSAE team credited the victims for their "incredibe bravery in the "complex investigation".

Detective Constable James Cronin of the OCSAE team in North East BCU said: "This has been a complex investigation involving specialist officers undertaking countless hours of work to uncover his wrongdoing and locate and assist victims of his abuse.

"The victims, especially the children, have shown incredible bravery by coming forward and sharing their story.

"Anyone who believes they have been a victim of child abuse should contact police on 101 and, as this case demonstrates, we will carry out a thorough investigation and bring perpetrators to justice."

Description

A groper who sexually assaulted 11 different women on public transport and at a park has avoided jail.

Shaid Akhtar, 42, admitted the string of sexual assaults, which took place between June and July last year.

During most of the incidents he put his hand on the women’s thighs - but grabbed several of the victims’ breasts.

A judge, who said he repeatedly targeted “lone women” travelling late at night on public transport, handed him a suspended sentence after hearing Akhtar has spent the last six months in prison.

Akhtar, who has been diagnosed with autism, was remanded into custody after committing the July assaults just days after he appeared in court charged with the June offences.

Judge Vanessa Baraitser said: “I have every reason to believe your actions have a very sinister undertone - evidenced by you repeatedly targeting women over a short period of time on 11 separate occasions and locations at times when you were most likely to find women alone.

“There is clear evidence of planning because you have placed yourself repeatedly in these locations and there is evidence of significant planning.”

She added: “You appear to be a candidate for rehabilitation. There has already been a clanging of prison gates as you have spent six months behind bars awaiting sentence.”

On Monday, January 16, Inner London Crown Court heard Akhtar sexually assaulted three women on the London Underground on June 27 last year between 8.30pm and 10.50pm.

The court heard he sat next to the women and put his hand on one of their thighs and grabbed them.

One of the women was followed by Akhtar as she tried to move away, the court heard.

On July 8, Akhtar approached a woman sunbathing in Mountsfield Park near Hither Green and put his hand on her thigh, the court heard.

On July 11, Akhtar was arrested and appeared before magistrates on the sexual assault charges before being bailed.But just two days later he was out sexually assaulting women again, the court heard.

Between July 13 and July 15, Akhtar targeted six women on National Rail trains and one in a cafe in Mountsfield Park.

Two of the women were assaulted on July 13 between 7.30pm and 8.30pm and three were targeted between 4.30pm and 11pm the next day.

One of the women assaulted on July 14 told the court in a victim impact statement: “This incident has made me feel like I need to be much more aware when out in public.

“I was assaulted at 4.30pm in broad daylight while out to collect my daughter at the train station. I was very shocked and could not process what took place.”

Just after midnight on July 15, Akhtar sexually assaulted another woman, who has never been identified.But the sexual assault on her was reported by a witness, who said Akhtar put his hand on her body and grabbed her breasts.

Later that morning at around 11am, Akhtar approached a woman at a park cafe in Hither Green, touched her breasts and said: “You are beautiful, would you like to come home with me?”

When Akhtar was arrested on July 20 he was found to have a small amount of cannabis on him, the court heard.

Akhtar, of Lewisham, south east London, admitted 10 sexual assaults and one count of possession of cannabis and was found guilty of one count of sexual assault.

He was given a 13-month suspended sentence for two years.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

British Transport Police PC Matthew Smart, said: “Arktar is a predatory individual who clearly targeted lone women for his own sexual gratification.

“He failed to understand the severity of his actions, and thanks to the victims’ reports we were able to catch him and remove him from the network.

“There is absolutely no place for this behaviour on the railway and we are dedicated to ensuring women and girls can travel without fear of harassment or intimidation.

“If you experience or witness a sexual offence on the network, I urge you to report it to us by texting 61016 or via the Railway Guardian app. In an emergency always dial 999. Nothing is too small or too trivial to report and we will always take you seriously.”