Vruj Patel, a 26-year-old Indian-origin man, was sentenced to 22 years in jail at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, October 7, according the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police. The Seldson Road E13 resident in London has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Additionally, the London man’s brother, Kishan Patel, was also sentenced to 15 months for possession of indecent images of children at the same court on Tuesday. In addition to his prison sentence, the 31-year-old individual will also served a 10-year-sexual harm prevention order.
Indian-origin man was arrested in London months ago
Vruj Patel was originally taken into custody on February 1. The incident followed the Greater Manchester Police relaying a third-party report to the Metropolitan Police, stating that videos of child sexual offending has been captured on a device sent for repair.
The device in question belonged to Kishan Patel. Preliminary findings at the time led to the discovery of child sexual offences being committed against a young girl. According to the police, she was known to the Patel brothers. Officers subsequently identified Vruj as the man appearing in the videos.
Detectives soon uncovered more images and clips which put the focus on Patel for raping a young woman after a university night out. Although police believe that incident happened in 2018, they now worry that his offending may have continued until recently.
Charges against Patel brothers
The 26-year-old Indian-origin man “pleaded guilty to the rape of a child under 13, assault of a child under 13 by penetration and four counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity in relation to one victim, rape of a woman over 16 and sexual assault by penetration relating to a second victim, along with possession of indecent images of children, and voyeurism,” the Met Police stated in a news release.
Having led the Met’s investigation, Detective Sergeant Rob Blant called Vruj Patel a “cowardly, opportunistic offender” for preying on “vulnerable victims for his own sexual gratification.”
Vruj Patel charges
- Sexual assault female over 16
- Rape female over 16
- Sexual assault of a child under 13
- Assault of a child under 13 by penetration
- Rape of a child under 13
- Voyeurism
- Assault by penetration female over 16
- 4x causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
- 4x making indecent images
Kishan Patel charges
- Making Indecent Images – Cat. A 765 still and 183 moving
- Making Indecent Images – Cat. B 401 still and 52 moving
- Making Indecent Images – Cat. C 944 still and 28 moving
- Possession of Indecent Images – Cats. A, B, and C.
Update on child rape investigation – Met Police
With the Met detectives’ investigation into a child sexual assault leading them to further evidence of such offences, authorities have appealed for more victims-survivors, if any, to come forward. “There may be other instances where children visiting his home, or the homes of those around him, had been placed under his care,” the news release added. “Detectives are interested to speak to anyone who believes this may have been true.”