Latest Offenders London

Description

A masked sex attacker who targeted two lone women was tracked down due to the Boris bike he rode off on. Christion Wright, 28, dragged his first victim, a paramedic, into the bushes at St Jamess Park in a terrifying ordeal at around midnight on 29 January last year. Three days after the attack in central London, he pulled his trousers down and molested a second woman on a train. He was jailed last month, but police have now revealed details of how they caught him. Detectives pieced together CCTV evidence showing him cycle away from the first attack. He was then seen to dock the hired Santander bike in Lower Marsh on the Southbank. Wright was then linked to the train assault by his DNA. Catherine Milsom, prosecuting, had told Southwark Crown Court that the first victim had just finished a shift with the NHS and then went into the park. She walked around the lake and up towards Buckingham Palace when she noticed a man nearby wearing a face mask and hoodie. Something about him made her very suspicious, Ms Milson said. Concerned, the victim changed her direction but then spotted Wright hiding behind some trees and clearly following her. She thought he wanted to rob her and offered him her mobile phone. He didnt take and instead said I just want to f**k you, said Ms Milsom. Wright dragged the struggling woman up to some bushes and sexually assaulted her. The woman bit his hand and he then made off on a Santander hire bike. Three days later, Wright pulled his trousers on a train and molested a teenager, 19, on the trip between Waterloo East and Greenhithe in Kent. She had been sitting alone watching YouTube videos on her phone when the defendant came and stood behind her. When she stood to get off and turned round, she found the defendant with his trousers down, Ms Milsom said. The Crown would say he is dangerous. Wright, of Southwark, admitted two counts of sexual assault relating to the first victim and sexual assault and exposure for the train attack. He was jailed for three years and eight months last month and was also placed in the sex offenders register for life. Referrring to the attack on the paramedic, Judge Andrew Goymer said: It is sufficient to say he followed the victim into St Jamess Park, she was subjected to considerable force and feared, for good reason, she was going to be raped. Both are very unpleasant assaults and very distressing to the victims and nobody suggests anything other than a sentence of imprisonment of some substance. Detective Constable Henh Ban Song said: My colleagues and I are using all legitimate methods at our disposal to identify and convict those who commit crimes against women in the capital. In this case, Met officers based at Charing Cross police station used technologies including the CCTV network, financial instrument analysis and DNA matching to identify and convict the offender. Women and girls in London are safer for our hard work and tenacity. Det Con Song also appealed for any other victims of the predator to come forward, adding: In my view, Wrights offending may have escalated quickly and alarmingly had he not been caught so soon after the offence in St Jamess Park.

Description

A former Islington Council caretaker has been jailed for 20 years for raping a woman at knifepoint, after breaking into her home.

Corbett, 26, of Rotherfield Street, East Canonbury, pleaded guilty in November to four counts of rape and stealing a mobile phone.

At a sentencing hearing today, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard the victim had "never felt so frightened in all her life" when Corbett broke into her house on October 8 last year.

Prosecutor Grace Yu-Ong described how she "woke up suddenly to see him kneeling down on the floor and looking over her in bed".

The victim's young daughter was present in the property at the time of the attack.

Following the attack, Corbett stole a mobile phone and a set of keys to the house, and as he was leaving he was said to have threatened the victim on the staircase with the knife, telling her: "If you say anything I'll come back. I'll hurt you. I'll kill you."

In a police interview, Corbett claimed he was not at the scene, however a forensic examination confirmed his fingerprints at the address.

In a statement, the victim described how her own life and her family's lives have been turned upside down since the attack.

She said talking about what happened makes her whole body shake.

"I have never felt fear like it and I will never forget it," she said, adding: "It's affected my relationships. I don't want to go out. I find it hard to trust people. I find myself questioning people's motives."

Addressing Corbett, Judge Martyn Zeidman QC, said: "I am hoping that you can see for yourself that you have behaved in an extraordinarily cruel manner, and you did so knowing that children were present.

"That's quite something.

"The victim has told us she never felt so frightened in her life, and the reality is whatever sentence I impose upon you, you have imposed a worse sentence on the family of the victim."

Cheers could be heard from the public gallery as Corbett sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment.

Judge Zeidman continued: This is not a single act of rape. It is four rapes, each one with its own pain and discomfort.

"One can never put the clock back.

"For me the overwhelming aggravating feature is this was done at a time when the defendant knew there were children on the premises.

"Their lives have been greatly affected by what the defendant has done."

The judge explained that he had read several character witnesses from Corbett's family and acquaintances, which testified to his previous good character – but had decided the case was so "unbelievably bad" that it deserved such a long sentence.

"They say it's out of character and he's a good natured caring person," he said.

"One witness says 'I don't believe he's a threat to society'. Another says: 'I don't believe he's capable of it'.

"But the fact is that he is and we know he is."

Corbett was also given a lifelong restraining order and a 25 year sexual harm prevention order, which will apply when he is released from prison.

Detective Constable Max Orange, the investigating officer, said: "Corbett is a dangerous offender who carried out an awful attack on a defenceless woman. I am pleased our investigation has resulted in him being taken off the streets and that he will no longer pose a risk to other women.

"I would like to praise the bravery of the victim in this case who continues to deal with the impact of what happened to her and I hope today's significant sentence does allow her some closure."

Description

A sexual predator who wanted to emulate serial rapist Joseph McCann when he attacked a string of women on the streets of east London has been jailed for 20 years.

Abdallah Baballah, 26, targeted women as they walked home alone at night, threatening to stab the victims as he carried out violent sexual assaults and stole their possessions.

When he was captured by the Met Police, officers discovered Baballah had looked online at news articles about his attack and even downloaded CCTV footage which had been released in a bid to catch him.

His phone also revealed internet searches for Joseph McCann, who had carried out rapes and sexual assaults on 11 women and children just a couple of months before Baballahs crimes.

At Snaresbrook crown court on Thursday, Baballah was jailed for 20 years and will spend an extra five years on licence when released from prison.

Baballah is an extremely dangerous offender who targeted these women as they walked home alone in the dark, said Detective Sergeant Sara Yems, of the Mets Specialist Crime Command.

He waited for the most opportune of moments before making his attack and his actions have left these women traumatised by what happened to them.

"I would like to thank them for coming forward and supporting the police investigation, and for providing crucial evidence which led to this conviction and has ensured Baballah cannot subject anyone else to such horrific attacks.

Baballah, a former Barking and Dagenham College ESOL student, carried out the attacks over the course of 11 days in July 2019, targeting the first victim when she stepped off the N15 night bus in Plaistow at 2.30am.

After following her down the street, he told the woman: Give me your phone or I will stab you and then dragged her to a secluded spot where she was raped three times.

Baballah then stole cash from her wallet, but handed back the victims phone complete with a thumb print which helped police to identify him.

The second victim had just left Leyton underground station at 3am on July 6, 2019, when Baballah grabbed hold of her and stole her phone. He demanded she perform oral sex on him, but the woman managed to get away.

An hour later, Baballah attacked another woman in Leyton, sexually assaulting and raping her, punching the victim in the face and stealing her phone and ring.

At around 3am on July 8, 2019, he struck again on a woman getting off the N15 bus in Dagenham, chasing her down the road while demanding she hand over her phone.

The final victim was attacked in East Ham on July 11, 2019, when she was dragged into a side road by Baballah who pinned her down and started punching her.

The woman managed to break free and sought help from a nearby resident, while Baballah stole her bag and phone.

Baballah was carrying one of the victims phones when he was arrested on July 25, and was linked to the crimes by his Oyster card use.

His phone records revealed searches for man raped two women in east London and rape rule in Britain.

The Sudanese national, of no fixed address, admitted rape, attempted rape, two charges of robbery, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was convicted after a trial of three further rape charges, three robberies, sexual assault, attempted rape, and making a threat to kill.

Description

A registered sex offender has been jailed after police found indecent images of children on his tablet.

James Bainbridge, 26, of Hartslock Drive, Bexley, was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, January 27.

He pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order, one count of distributing an indecent image of a child and one count of making an indecent image of a child.

Bainbridge was previously given a two-year suspended prison sentence in October 2020 after he attempted to meet a teenage girl he had been speaking to online.

As part of the sentence, he was also given an order which restricted his use of technology and stopped him from having unsupervised access to children.

On July 6, 2021, officers from a specialist unit responsible for monitoring registered sex offenders in Bexley were made aware of suspicious activity on a tablet belonging to Bainbridge.

They visited his home and found evidence that Bainbridge had breached his sexual harm prevention order. He was arrested and the device was seized.

A forensic examination revealed Bainbridge had used the tablet to view indecent images of children as young as 10.

Police Constable Jemma Morgan, from the Mets South East Jigsaw Unit, said: Bainbridge was being closely monitored by officers due to previous offending and it was through this monitoring that this offending came to light.

This type of crime is completely unacceptable and we take strong action when we receive reports of this nature, to protect children and young people from harm.

Description

A man from London has been convicted of possessing over 800 indecent images of children, after he admitted owning stun guns and pepper spray.

A former BBC producer has been found guilty of possessing indecent images of children following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Victor Melleney, 76, who previously worked on programmes such as Panorama and Question time, also pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to four counts of possessing a prohibited weapon.

He was arrested by NCA officers at his Kensington flat in October 2018. The weapons – three tasers and a pepper spray – were recovered following a search of the flat and his Porsche.

Officers also seized Melleney's laptop and iPad from this address.

An external hard drive, which he initially attempted to hide in his pocket, was recovered at his house close by in Holland Park.

His devices contained over 800 images and videos of child sexual abuse (categories A-C) and he had downloaded four different Peer 2 Peer file sharing applications onto them.

Analysis showed that the keywords he used to search for the material included "PTHC" (Pre Teen Hard Core), "Preteen" and "11 yo".

In March 2019, NCA officers executed a warrant at another of Melleney's properties in West Wittering, Chichester, as intelligence showed that he had also accessed child abuse material from the address in the month prior to his arrest.

Today at Kingston Crown Court, Melleney was found guilty of possessing indecent images of children.

He will be sentenced for this, along with the prohibited weapons offences, on 14 January 2022 at the same court.

Martin Ludlow, Operations Manager at the National Crime Agency, said: "Melleney had a significant collection of child abuse material, which he had sought out from with other like-minded individuals using the internet.

"It's really important not to forget that behind every sexual abuse image is a child whose life has been cruelly torn apart by an abuser, with men like Melleney fuelling the demand for such material.

"Protecting children and targeting those who pose a sexual threat to them remains our top priority."

Description

A sex offender who attacked six lone women has been given a life sentence. Joshua Victorin, 25, who approached his victims from behind, carried out four of the attacks within four hours. The offences between 23 December and 4 January happened days after his release from prison, where he had been serving a sentence for three sex attacks and other crimes. At Inner London Crown Court, he was told he must spend at least eight years and eight months in jail. Victorin pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted rape and four charges of sexual assault.

'Most people's nightmare'

Victorin, who was living in a probation hostel in Walworth, disguised himself in dark clothing, a hooded top and a face mask to carry out the attacks across south London. At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Claire Harden-Frost said: "These offences can be seen as part of a campaign to rape and sexually assault women walking alone in the streets of London. "This, frankly is most people's nightmare in this situation." Victorin first struck on the evening of 23 December, when he followed a woman as she got off a bus in Peckham. He pulled down her jogging bottoms, causing her to fall to the floor, before fleeing when the woman's screams alerted a passer-by.

'Hyperventilating'

On New Year's Eve, he tried to rape a second woman in Elephant and Castle, pulling down her trousers and dragging her by her ankles to the doorway of a London South Bank University building, but was disturbed by a security guard who heard her "hysterical" screams. On 4 January, Victorin carried out four similar sexual assaults on separate women, between 11:00 and 14:15 GMT. One victim described how he was "panting" as he grabbed her hips, while another was said to be so distressed she was "hyperventilating" when he groped her thighs. Victorin was identified after detectives theorised the attacker might be on some kind of curfew because of the timing of the offences and tracked him down to his hostel. He has seven previous convictions for 14 offences dating back to 2014. While serving a sentence for unlawful wounding and possession of an offensive weapon, he sexually assaulted two prison guards and was jailed for a year, having also sexually assaulted a female police officer in March last year. He was released halfway through his sentence in August, but recalled to prison after being charged with possession of cannabis and outraging public decency - by having consensual sex in a park in front of people, including children - and was then freed under licence in December. Stephen Akinsanya, defending, said his client's "indication of remorse is genuine". Describing Victorin as a "prolific offender", Metropolitan Police Det Sgt Chloe Angris said: "It is possible that there might be other women who were assaulted by him, and I would urge them to contact us."

Description

A man has been jailed after he abused the trust placed in him to sexually assault a child.

William Powell, 66 (29.12.1954) of East Ham Manor Way, Beckton, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 13 December. He is also subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Protection Order.

He was found guilty at the same court on Thursday, 17 June of two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

The court heard that in May 2018, allegations of sexual abuse were made against Powell.

These allegations related to incidents that occurred between July 2016 and November 2016 at his home address when he was looking after the victim.

They disclosed the abuse to a youth practitioner on 15 May 2018. Following this, a report was made to the police who launched an investigation.

Powell, who often referred to himself as Bill, was identified by officers and interviewed - he was never arrested as he was already in prison for a separate offence.

On 14 July 2020, he was charged with sexual assault of a female, under 13 by touching.

Detective Sergeant Emma Stockman, the investigating officer from East Area's CID, said: "Powell abused the trust placed in him, and his offences are truly shocking. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the actions of a dangerous and predatory offender.

"I thank the victim for having the strength and courage to come forward. Without this, his abuse may well have continued and impacted on further victims. The trauma that victims suffer can last a lifetime. I hope that the verdict brings the victim some closure, so that they can begin to rebuild their life.

"Given the predatory nature of Powell's offending, there is a possibility that he abused other children. We urge any further victims to contact police right away – a specially trained team of detectives are ready to listen and support you."

Description

Kirsty Nicholls admitted working with Elahi to make indecent images of a child and also sexually assaulting a child Kirsty Nicholls, 35, of Northolt, west London, who admitted working with Elahi to make indecent images of a child, was jailed for six years and nine months. Nicholls met Elahi on a so-called sugar daddy website, targeting financially desperate women. "You committed these offences with Elahi - your offending was motivated entirely by financial gain," the judge told Nicholls. "The offences are so serious that only an immediate sentence of custody can follow."

Description

Rameen Farooqy and Pankaj Bangarh laughed as they attacked their victim in the Winston Hotel.

Their victim was unconscious as she lay on the floor during the traumatic ordeal in August 2018.

Her attackers were each jailed on Wednesday for a total of eight years.

Furthermore, they must register as sex offenders for life.

They were both found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault following a trial at Southampton Crown Court earlier in the year.

Farooqy, 25, of Arundel Drive, Harrow, and Bangarh, 27, of Halsway, Hayes, London, have also been made the subject of an indefinite restraining order not to contact their victim.

Hampshire Police are now urging victims of rape and sexual assault to come forward and report any incidents.

Commenting on the sentencing, Detective Constable Sue Hampton from Operation Amberstone said: "This was undoubtedly a traumatic ordeal for the woman and I cannot praise her enough for the courage and bravery she has shown in coming forward and reporting what happened to her and for the strength, she has shown throughout the trial and criminal justice process.

"We know it's incredibly difficult to report incidents of this nature to the police but with her help, we have been able to bring these two men to justice today.

"I really hope that this case shows people that no matter the circumstances, Hampshire Constabulary is committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault and we will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court.

"In cases such as these, we work in partnership with the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) Service, Yellow Door to ensure expert support is available to victims throughout investigations. I know from speaking with the victim that the ISVA assigned to her helped her immensely through the process and we are really proud and lucky to work with support agencies like Yellow Door who help and support survivors.

"We hope that the strength of this partnership working alongside convictions like this, encourage victims to come forward and report their experiences to us so that we can identify offenders and do everything we can to stop them from doing it again to someone else."

Description

A man who carried out a series of horrific sexual attacks over several years has been jailed, following an investigation by the Met.

Kevin Smith, 55 (23.05.66), of Edwin Street, E16, was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November having earlier pleaded guilty at the same court to 18 counts of rape and assault by penetration.

Smith, who also used the name 'Ian Dormer', will serve six years on licence on release.

The offences began in January 2016 with the last in July 2021.

The victim, who is a vulnerable woman, disclosed what was happening to mental health services staff and they alerted police shortly afterward.

Smith was arrested on Saturday, 24 July. He was charged and remanded in custody the following day.

Officers from the North East Safeguarding Team conducted a fast-moving and meticulous investigation. Smith's phone was seized and interrogated, revealing a disturbing search history around rape and other sexual offences and the legality around them.

A thorough search of Smith's address was also conducted, during which officers discovered he had made plans to flee before police arrival. He had removed the sofa, bed and wardrobe in apparent attempt to give the impression he had not lived there, and had also packed what was left of his belongings into boxes.

On his phone officers found he had researched where he could go to disappear within the UK, and how he could get rid of his phone so that the police would never find it.

Detective Constable India Allen said: "This was a harrowing investigation involving a female victim who suffered terribly at the hands of Smith, who used a position of trust to abuse her.

"Her support during our investigation and the judicial process has been crucial. I would like to thank and praise her for the outstanding courage and bravery she has shown. I hope Smith's substantial sentence will give her some small measure of comfort as she looks to the next chapters of her life, safe in the knowledge that Smith is behind bars.

Description

A former science teacher has been jailed for being in a sexual relationship with a pupil.

Robert Hanna, 43 (11.01.78) of Southwark, London appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November where he was jailed for three years for six counts of sexual activity with a child whilst in a position of trust.

Detective Constable Erica Slater, from Central South Command, said: "This was a complex case where Hanna denied everything from the beginning and lied continuously throughout the case. However, the victim courageously remained steadfast in her evidence and following a thorough investigation his accounts were disproved.

"Today's sentence highlights the severity of this case and I would encourage anyone who is a victim of or victim to sexual abuse in any context to contact police. We have specially trained officers to investigate as well as ensuring there is ongoing support provided to the victims."

Hanna had previously been found guilty following a trial at the same court on Tuesday, 19 October, following a 12-day trial. During the trial the investigating detective travelled to the North East of England in order to obtain further evidence from the victim and additional evidence to secure the unanimous guilty verdict.

He has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), preventing him from having any unsupervised contact with people under 18 and he will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The court heard how Hanna was a teacher at a school in Southwark from 2015 until May 2019 when he was subsequently dismissed.

During this time he began having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old pupil whom he helped to achieve good grades in physics.

During a school prom he asked a group of pupils to meet up with him. Hanna then purchased alcohol and met with a few of the girls.

A sexual relationship began with the victim, over a four-month period. The victim told Hanna that she wanted the relationship to end but he persuaded her to meet with him one more time, he then broke up with her.

On Monday, 1 April 2019 the victim found the courage to inform a teacher of what had been happening and the school immediately suspended him. Police were alerted and an investigation began, led by specialist officers from Central South Child Abuse Investigation Team.

Officers interviewed him the following day and he denied being in a sexual relationship with the victim. A subsequent investigation found hotel check in and check out confirmation, banks statements and phone download evidence that corroborated the account given by the victim.

In May 2020 Hanna was charged as above.

Description

A dangerous predatory offender who targeted teenage girls and then sexually and physically assaulted them has been jailed.

Joshua Plunkett, 25 (27.11.95), of Reginald Road, Lewisham, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, 18 November to 14-and-a-half years' imprisonment. He will serve at least eight-and-a-half years of the sentence in prison, with the remainder to be served on licence. He also received a 15 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register.

He was convicted at the same court on Friday, 17 September of:

- Possession of a prohibited image;

- Sexual communications with a child;

- Controlling coercive behaviour;

- Disclosing private photographs;

- Actual bodily harm;

- Two counts of sexual activity with a child;

- Perverting the course of justice;

- Causing a child to watch a sexual act;

- Breach of a Sexual Risk Order;

- Failing to comply with section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

The court heard that Plunkett targeted five teenage girls aged between 13 and 18, between 2016 and 2020.

After befriending his victims online, he would then exercise coercive control and abuse them physically, sexually and emotionally. Several victims told detectives he used 'strangle holds' on them. He broke the finger of one of his victims and bit her so forcefully that a complete mouth impression was left.

Plunkett used coercive control to dominate his vulnerable victims and would publish graphic images of them online to punish them and cause embarrassment if they upset him or tried to break contact.

Even after he was arrested and charged, following a comprehensive investigation by the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, his reign of terror did not stop as he sought to intimidate one of his victims while on remand to avoid justice.

Plunkett's offending began in 2016, then aged 20, when he started an online conversation with [Victim 1] who was 15 at the time. As the victim started to feel Plunkett genuinely liked her, he started to ask her to send him intimate pictures of herself. She told him no because she was not ready and Plunkett responded by sending nasty messages and abusing her via text message. The victim relented and sent him a series of sexual photographs.

In July 2017, Plunkett began a conversation with [Victim 2] who was 13. He asked her how old she was, and she added a year to her true age and responded 14, but that did not deter Plunkett and he sent her a series of sexual messages.

[Victim 3] first met Plunkett through Facebook when she was 15 and they started messaging. They met up in March 2018 when she was 18 and he was 22. As the relationship developed, Plunkett began demanding access to her social media accounts. In May 2018, Plunkett demanded her phone and when she refused he grabbed her around the neck and strangled her. He did the same thing just three weeks later. In June 2018, the victim ended the relationship. This angered Plunkett who logged onto her social media account and was abusive and rude and sent a number of explicit pictures and videos of the two of them engaging in sexual activity to her friends and family. Plunkett's actions ruined the victim's modelling career and damaged her self-esteem.

Plunkett met [Victim 4] in 2018 when she was 15 and he had sex with her. In September 2018 the two were play fighting when he deliberately took hold of her finger and tried to snap it, which resulted in a suspected break. While on remand in prison in December 2018, Plunkett persuaded the victim that it was her fault he was still in custody because of what she had said in her police interview. Over the next four weeks or so he made a concerted effort to persuade the victim to retract her account that there had been any sexual element to their relationship. His efforts worked and she withdrew her statement in January 2019. However, after speaking with detectives she thankfully changed her mind and further disclosed the full extent of the abuse in June 2020.

In January 2020, having been released from custody on bail, Plunkett attended [Victim 4]'s home uninvited, giving an excuse that he thought he had taken her keys a couple of weeks earlier. Breaching the Sexual Risk Order that detectives had secured, he entered the victim's bedroom while she was listening to music and immediately started punching her repeatedly in the face and head, causing her to fall to the floor. He then kicked her in the face and gave her a cut to her forehead which bled profusely. She managed to get slightly towards the door when he pulled her back by her hair – pulling some of it out – and she fell to the floor again where he resumed kicking her. He then took the victim's mobile phone and bankcard and left the scene. All this was witnessed by her 12-year-old sister.

Plunkett contacted [Victim 5] over Snapchat in September 2019. He told her he was 16, but he was in fact almost 24. The victim told him her true age, 14. Plunkett asked the victim to watch some of his videos on Snapchat story. One of the videos he sent was of him having sex, so the victim blocked him. In the summer of 2020, while on remand for these offences, Plunkett attempted to add the victim as one of the contacts he could phone from prison. He lied to the prison authorities and said she was his 24-year-old cousin, meaning he once again breached his Sexual Risk Order.

Detectives began their investigation into Plunkett in September 2018, and first arrested him in November 2018. He was further arrested another three times throughout 2018 and 2019. It was a complex investigation which involved five victims and offending dating back to 2016. It took eight months of detectives closely working with the victims before the full extent of Plunkett's abuse came out.

Detectives also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to protect the victims and any potential future ones by doing things such as applying for Sexual Risk Orders, working closely with the prison to gain intelligence and making a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act application after he refused to provide the PIN for his phone.

Detective Constable Natalie Franklin, the investigating officer from the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, said: "Plunkett is a cruel monster who preyed on young teenage girls. He would make their lives a living nightmare for his own twisted pleasure by abusing them with sexual, physical and emotional violence. He is the personification of violence against women. Even when he was on remand awaiting trial he exercised his control by intimidating one of his victims and making her so fearful that she withdrew her statement.

"This was a complex investigation which involved hundreds of hours of enquiries to be carried out, but we were happy to work around the clock to make sure that Plunkett was brought to justice so he could not hurt and control any more young girls.

"I would like to praise the bravery of Plunkett's victims who came forward and gave evidence. It cannot have been easy for them to re-live their traumatic ordeals, but their courage resulted in us being able to build a strong case against Plunkett which has resulted in him being put behind bars for a considerable amount of time."

Description

A woman who ran a sexual services business has been jailed alongside her brother and an associate after detectives discovered they were exploiting vulnerable women for their own financial gain.

Claudia Anca, 27 (31.05.94) and Vasile Anca, 24 (08.01.97), both of Garfield Road, Chingford, and Mihaita Strat, 51 (14.11.70), of Henley Road, Redbridge, were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, 17 November following a comprehensive investigation by the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team.

The Ancas were each sentenced to six years' imprisonment and Strat was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

All three originally denied their involvement and a four-week trial started on Monday, 8 November. However, due to the vast amount of evidence against them, they all pleaded guilty on Tuesday, 9 November to controlling prostitution. The Anca siblings also pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs.

Charges of trafficking have been left to lie on file.

The court heard the defendants ran a sexual services business which was advertised on a website. The business provided transport for the sex workers to and from a customer's location, which was a hotel or home address. Typically, a customer would phone the number on the online adverts and a woman would be driven to their preferred location, which was usually a hotel.

Claudia was in charge of the enterprise. It was her phone number that took the calls from customers and she directed the sex workers. Her brother Vasile had a leading role and assisted Claudia in running the business as well as frequently providing transport for the women. Cocaine would also be provided by the siblings if asked for by the customers.

Strat also assisted in the running of the business. At times he helped Claudia with the website and gave direction to the sex workers. Like Vasile, he also acted as a driver, transporting the women to appointments and back.

The court heard the trio ran this business from at least March 2019, which is when a company called 'Ace Concept' was set-up, with the siblings listed as directors. It did not appear have a legitimate purpose and was set-up to facilitate the criminal enterprise.

Detectives discovered that Ace Concept was linked to a number of adverts on a classified website. Claudia's phone number was on the individual adverts to book sexual services with the women. In addition, the siblings' cardholder details were listed for the adverts on the website.

There were 73 payments from the siblings between July 2019 and January 2021, totalling £23,162.99. Strat also paid for some of the advertisements in August 2020.

During their investigation, detectives identified and confirmed at least six call outs to hotels through CCTV, mobile and ANPR work. On two of these occasions, the Met deployed undercover officers to pose as customers.

On 10 December 2020, an undercover officer called Claudia and they discussed prices for sexual services and drugs. The officer went to a hotel in Barking where he met the woman and later had the drugs delivered by Vasile. The officer then made his excuses, paid her in full, and left the hotel. The woman was picked-up by Vasile and taken to the siblings' home address.

The drugs provided to the officer were analysed and confirmed to be cocaine. The packaging was also examined and Vasile's fingerprint was found on it.

With enough evidence now collected against the defendants, detectives ran a 'sting' on 13 January 2021 with the aim of arresting the trio.

The sting began with an undercover officer calling Claudia and arranging for two sex workers and cocaine to be brought to a hotel in Barking. Shortly before 22:40hrs, Claudia called the officer to say the girls were outside the hotel. He went to meet them and Strat called out 'did you order an escort,' to which he replied he did.

The officer told the women to go and wait inside the hotel. Strat was then arrested by officers, who found £890 in cash in his car as well as a Satnav, which had the siblings' address in it, and a small zip lock bag, which later tested positive for traces of cocaine.

Police officers later examined the sex workers' bags – inside were several unused condoms and three black wraps of powder, which later tested positive for cocaine.

At about 23:40hrs on 13 January, officers attended the Ancas' home address and arrested the siblings. Officers searched the house and seized a quantity of cash and cocaine, several mobile phones and a pink notebook which contained several handwritten financial entries for the business.

Whilst at the police station, Strat noticed Claudia and said to an officer under his breath, 'that is the boss, she is the boss.'

Claudia's mobile phones were analysed by detectives and contained messages between herself and customers, sex workers, her brother and Strat. A typical message to the sex workers would indicate the price agreed for an hour, the postcode of the meeting venue and the mobile number of the client. There would also be messages discussing the services requested.

Detectives also found a message on her phone which demonstrated the control that was being exercised. As well as financially controlling the girls, Claudia dictated how the women should look. Officers found a message on her phone that she sent in December 2020 instructing the girls to dress elegantly, with make-up and straightened hair. She said they would be photographed by the drivers before meeting with customers and if they did not 'respect her rules' they would be sent home to get changed or 'even off.' The drivers were told not to leave with the girl before she gave her confirmation.

Photos of women posing in their underwear were also found in WhatsApp messages sent from Claudia to Strat, and were similar to those used in the online adverts.

The trio all gave 'no comment' interviews and were subsequently charged on 15 January 2021.

Detective Inspector Nigel Penney, from the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, said: "This was an excellent investigation by my team of detectives, which resulted in the defendants changing their pleas to guilty due to the overwhelming evidence against them. This criminal enterprise was run and controlled by Claudia Anca who, along with her brother Vasile and Strat, had absolutely no regard for the welfare or safety of the women they exploited for their own greed.

"The Met is committed to keeping London a safe place for everyone and will continue to work behind the scenes to robustly target and bring to justice people like the Anca siblings and Strat who treat people as nothing more than an object to make money.

"We remain absolutely dedicated to doing all we can to protect women and girls, like those who were exploited by the Ancas and Strat. The Met takes all reports of exploitation extremely seriously and I would encourage anyone who has suffered from these kind of offences to contact police where they will be treated sensitively and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated."

Description

A man has been jailed for a total of 22 years having been found guilty of multiple child sex offences.

Mark Bolton, 55, (5.12.65) of New Malden was sentenced on Friday, 5 November, at Kingston Crown Court, having been convicted on 2 September after a trial at the same court.

He was found guilty of five counts of raping a child, two counts of attempted rape of a child, seven counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of assault by penetration of a child and one count of sexual activity with a child.

In addition he was found guilty of two counts of causing a child to engage in or watch sexual activity and one count each of taking indecent photographs of a child and voyeurism.

Mark Bolton, previously known as Dermot Bolton, committed the offences over a period of nine years against two girls under the age of 13. Bolton was known to the children and their relatives.

Police were alerted to Bolton's offending after one of the victims spoke to a member of staff at their school. The school contacted the child's mother, who in turn called police on 1 December 2020.

An urgent police investigation was launched and Bolton was arrested by Met officers the same day.

Detective Constable Katy Waddington who led the investigation by the Met's South West BCU said: "The details of this case were some of the most distressing I have heard in six years investigating child abuse.

"Mark Bolton sexually abused the children having groomed them and ultimately secure their continued silence. He used covert hidden cameras and his knowledge of IT to further his sexual interest in children all the while positioning himself as a respectable family man.

"I continue to be in awe of victims who come forward to face their abusers, even more so in cases where the abuse was by someone they trusted. There are not enough words to describe the bravery and dignity shown. I hope the children and their relatives will find some peace moving forward, and the lengthy prison sentence will reassure them as they begin to rebuild their lives."

In addition to a 22-year prison sentence, Bolton was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A teacher from a school in Leytonstone has been jailed for two years after admitting she had a sexual relationship with a pupil at her school.

Disgraced sports tutor Erin Hebblewhite, 29, admitted to seven charges which involved abusing her position to groom and sexually abuse a 16-year-old at Connaught School for Girls.

Hebblewhite took the teen's virginity in a restaurant bathroom on Valentine's Day and was the first person to kiss her.

The Sports Teacher of the Year contender also tried to pressure her into having sex in the toilets of Primark during a shopping trip.

The offending came to light when the teen's phone was seized by her mother and a family member was able to find explicit messages despite pleas from Hebblewhite for the girl to delete them.

Four charges relate to sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 to 17 and abusing her position of trust, with the fifth charge being sexual activity in the presence of a teenager.

The other two charges are taking and possession of indecent photographs of a girl under the age of 17.

Judge Neil Sanders, passing sentence, imposed a 10-year restraining order and sexual harm preventing order banning her from contacting the victim or working with children in any capacity.

He also jailed Hebblewhite for two years with all charges to run concurrently.

He said: “You sent her a text asking if she liked you. From that point, the relationship developed.

“It developed into flirtation, with you calling her a heart throb and the sexual encounters began.

“This involved kissing in the school premises and [the complainant] felt she was pressurised and she gave in.

“You went on a date in a restaurant and that was the first occasion in which there was sex.

“There were rumours going around the school and, in fact, the school warned you to be careful as you could get into trouble.

“When you split up with your partner, [the complainant] would go to your house and the sex would continue in your house.

“She had pictures taken of her. She felt she needed to do so to make you happy.”

He continued: “I have read the victim personal statement and can summarise as such the areas [the victim] describes is feeling guilty and shame and depression, PTSD and feeling suicidal.

"She describes the interruption of an important time of education and development.

'She talks about the damage to her relationships of her friends, family and her best friend. She says she struggles with adult relationships and she found the criminal process an ordeal.

“Given the number of your offences, I consider the appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.'

Hebblewhite, from Brighton, wearing a navy suit and cream jumper, broke down in tears and tried to speak to her girlfriend who was supporting her from the public gallery.

The complainant attended the sentencing hearing alone but was supported by a police victim support officer.