A Croydon resident has been handed a 28-year custodial sentence after a jury convicted him of 17 sexual offences against children committed across a 15-year period during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Inner London Crown Court sentenced Anthony Adewale Sobogun, 61, of Thistlewood Crescent, on Wednesday following a Metropolitan Police investigation that relied heavily on medical documentation and counselling records to corroborate survivors’ testimony.
The prosecution case gained significant evidential weight after officers traced abortion clinic records confirming one victim had undergone a termination following a pregnancy caused by Sobogun’s abuse. The defendant had personally accompanied her to the medical facility, investigators revealed.
Police reviewed therapeutic counselling notes detailing the sustained cycle of sexual exploitation the victim endured, providing additional corroboration for charges that included multiple counts of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and child rape.
Both victims were known to Sobogun prior to the abuse, which the London Metropolitan Police described as prolonged and systematic. Officers arrested him during the early hours of 2 July 2025 before charging him following what authorities characterised as a thorough victim-led investigation.
The investigative approach prioritised establishing trust with survivors, employing video-recorded interviews conducted in purpose-built suites designed to facilitate sensitive evidence collection whilst minimising trauma.
Detective Constable Charlotte Lockyer emphasised the conviction resulted directly from victims’ willingness to engage with the criminal justice process. “It’s as a result of their courage in working with officers that this dangerous man has been jailed,” she stated, noting their actions had prevented further offending.
Lockyer stressed that historical abuse cases remain prosecutable regardless of time elapsed. “Today’s result shows that no matter when the abuse occurred, justice can still be secured.”
The survivors issued a joint statement highlighting how fear, familial pressure and stigma often suppress disclosure of such crimes. “Abuse like this exists in many communities, often hidden by family, fear, silence, or stigma,” they said, characterising their case as representative of a broader concealed problem.
They directly appealed to others who have suffered similar experiences to report abuse. “If you have experienced abuse, your voice matters, and you deserve to be heard, supported, and protected.”
The pair acknowledged the Metropolitan Police, Crown Prosecution Service and prosecutor William Goss for their professional case management.
Metropolitan Police confirmed their ongoing commitment to enhancing victim-survivor support mechanisms whilst strengthening evidence quality in non-recent abuse investigations through victim-centred methodologies.
