Darren Conway was part of the vile network that shared sexual assault and domestic abuse content
A North London man has been exposed as being part of an online ring that shared sexual assault and domestic abuse content.
52-year-old Darren Conway, from Enfield, today pleaded guilty to an initial count of assisting or encouraging an offence (in this case, haring an intimate photograph or film and sexual assault), seven further counts of encouraging an offence (sexual assault), on top of voyeurism and possessing an extreme pornographic image. He’ll be sentenced next month.
The forum was discovered by police around this time last year. In it, Conway shared messages urging others to commit ‘drug-facilitated sexual offending’. He pushed another member of the group to remove a sleeping woman’s clothes, attack her, and then share pictures with him.
It’s also believed Conway, via the network, watched women sleeping without their knowledge.
Commanded Andy Day of the Met Police said: “Drug facilitated sexual offending can have lasting and devastating impacts on its victims.
“Conway’s actions were shocking. By encouraging others to engage in sexual offending against victims who were unconscious, asleep, or otherwise stupefied, he has put women at a serious risk of harm in their own homes – all for his own sexual gratification.
“Anyone who has reason to believe that they may have been a victim of sexual offending should report to police. All victims will be supported by specialist officers and safeguarding can be put into place for their protection.
“We also encourage anyone who has reason to believe somebody they know is involved in this offending to come forward.”
Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London South, Tracy Easton, said: “Darren Conway committed vile acts against women in their own homes, a place where they should have been safe.
“Organised drug-facilitated sexual assault is abhorrent and we are determined to work with policing to bring offenders to justice.
“I hope this guilty plea gives confidence to anyone who believes they may have been subjected to similar abuse to come forward.”
The Met Police continues to work to identify as many victims as they can. While many of the offences are thought to have happened in the UK, they’re not ruling out that some of it happened abroad.
Anyone concerned about drug facilitated sexual offending or online offending can report information to police by calling 101.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
