London Crime Briefing
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.
Topic
34 stories, newest first · page 1 of 2.
Activists want Sadiq Khan to prohibit Meta AI glasses on the London Underground, citing fears they could exacerbate sexual violence. British Transport Police recorded nearly 600 sexual offences on the network last year.
Noel Clarke, 50, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. He is charged with six sexual offences alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2016 in London and Dorset. Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney confirmed ongoing support for the five alleged victims.
Jurors have started their deliberations at Lewes Crown Court in the trial of Kieran Hayler, who is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl and other sexual offences. The judge sent the jury out on Tuesday afternoon.
Vincent Chan, a former nursery worker at Bright Horizons in Barnet, has been jailed for 18 years after admitting 56 sexual offences. Affected families are calling for a full investigation after learning concerns were raised in 2021 but not reported to police.
Tommi Harwood has been sentenced to five years in prison for raping a girl at Romford station. The attack occurred in September 2024 when Harwood was 16. He was found guilty following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
A professor of sexual violence has detailed why the London Underground is a breeding ground for sexual offences, citing the anonymity and numerous opportunities it provides offenders. British Transport Police report a high solved rate for such crimes.
Joshua Gray, 23, from Edmonton, has been sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison for grooming a child online, travelling to Bedfordshire to meet her, and then raping and sexually assaulting her in a park. He pleaded guilty to multiple offences including intentional strangulation.
Clifford Blake, 63, of Downham, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child at Bromley Magistrates' Court. The offences occurred between September 25 and October 3. He has been remanded on conditional bail ahead of sentencing on November 17.
Kostyantyn Avdan, 30, from Poplar, has been sentenced to five years in prison for grooming and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He was found guilty of multiple child sexual offences and made subject to a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Roman Scott, from Sutton, has been sentenced to six months in prison after committing five counts of exposure on trains between December 14 and 15 last year. He received a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
A Bexley man has admitted attempting to send sexual messages to a 12-year-old child. Thomas Smith pleaded guilty to the offence and two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at Bexley Magistrates’ Court. He has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at Woolwich Crown Court.
A mother dropping her one-year-old child at Guardian Angels church in Mile End discovered Mohamed Ali masturbating in the foyer. Ali, 44, has 136 previous convictions and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Metropolitan Police are investigating reports of a rape in Goodmayes Park, Ilford, which is believed to have occurred between August 15 and August 16. The victim reported the incident on August 19, and no arrests have been made as of September 23. Officers are seeking a man walking a dog who assisted the victim.
A 75-year-old Surbiton man, William Raison, has been jailed for 12 years after admitting to sexually abusing a young girl known to him. He also pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.
Darren Conway, 52, from Enfield, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges including assisting or encouraging sexual offences, sexual assault, voyeurism, and possessing an extreme pornographic image. He is due to be sentenced in October.
Bronwen James, a former PE teacher, has been found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a 16-year-old pupil at Bitterne Park School in Southampton. She had previously admitted charges involving two other schoolgirls.
Actor Noel Clarke has been charged with two counts of sexual assault, three counts of voyeurism, and one count of exposure. The alleged offences involve five women and occurred between 2007 and 2016. Clarke is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Campaigners are calling for a ban on Meta's AI-powered smart glasses, citing fears they could exacerbate existing safety issues on the London Underground. Sexual offences on the Tube reached a five-year high in December 2025, with a significant percentage occurring within train carriages.
Zhenhao Zou, already serving life for drugging and raping 10 women, may face additional charges. The Metropolitan Police has sent a file to prosecutors detailing allegations from seven more women, including rape and administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual offence.
Metropolitan Police detectives have sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) concerning further allegations linked to Zhenhao Zou, who was convicted in 2025 of multiple offences including rape and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.