Latest Offenders London

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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.”

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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."

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A Kennington man, who posed as a minicab driver to rape a woman who fell asleep in his car months after carrying out a violent attack on another woman near his home, was sentenced to 19 years in prison today (Thursday, February 24).

The court was told how 38-year-old Michael Mehari stalked the streets of Kennington to attack vulnerable women on their way home from a night out.

The first attack took place on Sunday, December 29, 2019, as the victim, in her twenties, was making her way home from a night out with friends. She was hit on the head before being dragged into a secluded pathway in the Kennington Park Road area.

He remained at large before striking again in the early hours of March 20 last year. The court heard the second victim, also in her twenties, had ordered an Uber to King Cross and she got into Mehari’s car, believing it was her taxi. She dozed off in the back of the vehicle and awoke to find Mehari attacking her.

He had taken her to a quiet side street in Kennington. She confronted him, left the vehicle and reported the incident to transport staff at a nearby tube station who called police.

An investigation was launched and enquiries led to the arrest of Mehari. A DNA sample, taken in custody, linked him to both the 2019 and 2022 attacks.

Detective Constable Tristan Jones of the Met’s Central South Command said: “Mehari is a dangerous opportunist who actively sought lone women.

“Identifying and apprehending those who commit violence against women and girls is a priority to which we are absolutely committed.

“I applaud the bravery of the victims in this case. I sincerely hope that the sentence handed to Mehari provides them with a degree of closure and a sense that justice has been done.

“I urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to contact police or a support agency. Please don’t suffer in silence.”

Mehari must serve at least two thirds of his prison sentence before being considered for release. He will also be subject to sex offender notifications for life.

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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.

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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.

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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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Louis Woods, 28, from Wandsworth, touched the complainant intimately in the Birkbeck University bar in Bloomsbury, central London, on March 18, 2019.

The victim had downed Guinness, rum, Jagermeister and vodka and went outside to the bar’s smoking area to get some air when she was assaulted, Wood Green Crown Court heard.

...he was convicted of two counts of penetration by a jury following a trial.

Woods was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years. In that time he must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and attend 40 days rehabilitation activity.

He will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

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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.”

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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.

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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."

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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.”

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Pc David Carrick’s 17-year campaign of sexual abuse and violence is ‘unprecedented’ within policing, the Metropolitan Police has said today.

However, the force has conceded he is not the only officer to be charged with serious sexual offences ‘in the recent past’ – as it reels from yet another blow to its already battered reputation.

Carrick, nicknamed ‘Bastard Dave’, is now believed to be one of the worst sex offenders in modern history after he was unmasked as a serial rapist who attacked 12 women 24 times.

He is facing decades behind bars after admitting a total of 49 offences between 2003 and 2020.  

Carrick, 48, used his position as a police officer to gain his victims’ trust and convinced them they would not be believed if they reported him.

The armed officer in the specialist Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command preyed on dating sites including Tinder and Badoo in a bid to find vulnerable women before arranging to meet them at bars.

He flashed his warrant card and boasted of meeting high-profile figures, including former PM Boris Johnson, as part of his work.  

Carrick would present himself as ‘fun-loving, charming and charismatic’ but was ‘very manipulative’ and ‘very self-confident, almost to the point of cocky’, prosecutors said.

‘Relentless manipulation’

Senior Crown Prosecutor Shilpa Shah said Carrick acted as if he was having ‘a chat’ during police interviews, when he claimed his victims had consented to his actions.

‘He was very self-confident and quite charming, as if he was talking to his friends,’ Ms Shah said.

‘This is a harrowing case where some victims were relentlessly manipulated – financially cut off and isolated from their friends and family and repeatedly humiliated.

‘Carrick took so much from them both physically and mentally.

‘Carrick was persuasive but also incredibly manipulative.

‘He told the victims from the start that he was a police officer and suggested to them that it would be their word against his, a concern that a lot of victims have.’

Carrick, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, verbally abused his victims, calling them ‘disgusting’, ‘fat’ and ‘lazy’.

He ordered some women to stay in bed all day so they could have sex all night.

Others were locked in an under-stairs cupboard likened to a dog crate for hours without food and water, or made to clean the house naked.

Carrick also urinated over his victims and referred to them as his ‘slave’.

‘Missed opportunities’ to stop serial sex offender

Carrick, who served in the British Army between 1996 and 1997, joined the Met in August 2001 and was deployed as a response officer based in Merton, southwest London.

He was given the job despite being a suspect in two offences reported to the force involving allegations of malicious communications and burglary against a former partner, after he is said to have refused to accept their relationship was over.

He was not arrested and no further action was taken.

During his two-year probation period, he was accused of harassment and assault against an ex-partner but again, no action was taken.

Police watchdog, the IOPC, said two unnamed Met officers who dealt with the incident could have committed misconduct – but had since retired and could not be sanctioned.  

Carrick should have been vetted in 2011 after 10 years of service but this did not happen until 2017.  

It has now emerged Carrick was reported over nine incidents including rape between 2001 and 2021.  

A number of reported incidents were not referred to senior officers or the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards.

In 2019, Hertfordshire Police received a report of assault and criminal damage involving an argument between Carrick and a woman, when he is said to have grabbed her by the neck.

But neither party were supportive of police involvement and no further action was taken.

On this occasion the incident was referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards and Carrick was given ‘words of advice’ regarding informing his chain of command about off-duty incidents.

It was determined he had no case to answer in relation to misconduct.

Carrick was arrested by Hertfordshire Police in July 2021 when a woman alleged he raped her.

But no further action was taken after the woman withdrew her complaint.

The Directorate of Professional Standards placed him on restricted duties – but it was ruled he had no case to answer regarding misconduct.

The restriction was lifted but he never returned to full duties.

An investigation was only launched in October 2021 when a 50-year-old woman reported being raped by Carrick, leading to his arrest, charge and suspension from the Met.

He was remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 4, 2021, with the publicity from his court appearance prompting 12 more women to come forward.  

His pay was finally stopped on December 16, 2022, when he pleaded guilty to 43 offences at the Old Bailey – just one month before he appeared at Southwark Crown Court to plead guilty to a further six offences today.

Now London Mayor Sadiq Khan has demanded an explanation over why Carrick was able to evade prosecution for almost two decades, as the Met was forced to issue yet another a grovelling apology for serious failings.

‘We are truly sorry’

The Met said delays in re-vetting officers were previously identified as an area requiring improvement and its approach is now ‘far more robust’.  

Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said in a statement that Carrick had a ‘devastating impact on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn.

‘We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation.

‘We are truly sorry that Carrick was able to continue to use his role as a police officer to prolong the suffering of his victims.’

A misconduct hearing will be held in Carrick’s absence tomorrow, ahead of his sentence on February 6.