The Metropolitan Police say Darren Conway, 52, has pleaded guilty after investigators found he encouraged members of an online forum to sexually assault drugged or sleeping women and to share images. Conway was identified following the discovery of the forum in October 2025; police executed a search of his home on July 30 and seized devices. He admitted nine counts of assisting or encouraging offences, plus voyeurism and possession of an extreme pornographic image, and is due to be sentenced on October 30. Authorities say this case reflects a broader, organised online ecosystem of offenders and investigators continue to examine seized material to identify more victims and suspects.
North London Man Pleads Guilty After Urging Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assaults in Online Forum
Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Darren Conway, who has admitted nine counts of assisting or encouraging an offense, one count of voyeurism, and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. - Metropolitan Police/PA Wire/AP
A man from North London has pleaded guilty after police say he encouraged members of an online forum to sexually assault women who had been drugged or were asleep, the Metropolitan Police announced on Friday.
Officers uncovered the forum in October 2025 and a national coordination group led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) opened a cross-force investigation. The inquiry identified 52-year-old Darren Conway of Enfield as a participant in the group chat.
Police executed a search warrant at Conway's home on July 30, seizing electronic devices and arresting him. Analysis of conversations and files on those devices showed Conway urged others to commit sexual assaults against unconscious or stupefied women, and encouraged perpetrators to post images in the chat. Investigators say Conway viewed images or footage of sleeping women via the chatroom on more than 10 occasions.
"Conway's actions were shocking," said Met Police Commander Andy Day. "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."
Conway appeared at Wood Green Crown Court in London, wearing a grey tracksuit, and pleaded guilty to nine counts of assisting or encouraging an offence, along with charges of voyeurism and possessing an extreme pornographic image. He is due to be sentenced on October 30.
Prosecutors and police say the case is part of a wider trend in which online forums are used as hubs for offenders to coordinate drug-facilitated sexual assaults and to exchange images and information. In July, Europol and the NCA disclosed an international policing operation that exposed a highly organised online ecosystem of offenders.
Ciara Bergman, CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales, described the scale and coordination of the abuses as "deeply alarming," adding that such behaviour is rooted in misogyny and the objectification of women and girls. Lead prosecutor Tracy Easton called Conway's acts "vile" and said authorities were determined to bring offenders to justice.
Investigators continue forensic work on material recovered from Conway's devices to identify other people shown in the footage. Many victims are believed to live in the UK, though some may be overseas. The NCA notes that in many cases victims only learn they were assaulted when contacted by police.
CNN conducted an undercover investigation that uncovered networks where men encouraged sexually violent acts; a high-profile French case involving Gisele Pelicot — in which a man was sentenced to prison for soliciting strangers to assault his then-wife while she was unconscious — helped draw international attention to the issue. Police across Europe have since made arrests and secured convictions in similar cases.
Authorities urge anyone who believes they may have been a victim of drug-facilitated sexual assault to contact their local police or specialist victim support services. CNN's Helen Regan contributed to this report.
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