Wembley Family-Friend Found Guilty of Serial Child Sex Attacks
Subrahmaniam Sathananthan, 61, of Pembroke Close, Wembley, was found guilty of 10 sex offences at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday, March 21. The charges include multiple counts of indecent assault and child indecency.
10 Counts of Abuse Revealed
- One count of indecent assault on a male (Sexual Offences Act 1956, s.15(1))
- Seven counts of indecent assault (Sexual Offences Act 1956, s.14(1))
- Two counts of indecency with a child (Indecency Act 1960, s.1(1))
Trusted Family-Friend Used Position to Abuse Kids
In April 2019, police received reports from two victims about sexual assaults committed by Sathananthan. The victims were 12 and between 9-13 years old at the time. Both were known to him as family friends.
Sathananthan often visited their homes for dinners and socialising. He exploited the victims by asking them to help with documents for his new business, arranging private sessions in a victim’s bedroom to carry out the attacks.
He warned the victims to keep it “just between you and me” and “no-one else needs to know.” Over the years, he even showered one victim with expensive gifts like sunglasses and perfume to mask his crimes.
Victims Find Courage, Perpetrator Faces Justice
One victim disclosed the abuse during a university Skype call, which led the second victim to come forward with similar accounts. Both said Sathananthan took advantage of private moments when no one else was home.
Sathananthan was arrested on May 10, 2019, and denied all allegations. He faces sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court on June 16, 2023.
“I commend the bravery of both victim-survivors in coming forward and reporting the assaults to us,” said Detective Chief Inspector Neil Smithson of the Met’s Public Protection Team. “We have ensured full support throughout, and I want to stress anyone reporting sexual offences will be listened to and believed from the start.”
