A man has been jailed for 16 years for grooming and raping a child – after investigators from the Metropolitan Police Service tracked him down using only phone data and CCTV footage.

Richard Bosworth, 40, from Coalville in Leicestershire, was sentenced on Tuesday, 4 March, at Kingston Crown Court.

He previously pleaded guilty on Wednesday, 23 October 2024 to two counts of rape as well as seven other sexual offences, including sexual assault on a child under 13, engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, meeting a child following sexual grooming, and assault by digital penetration.

Detective Inspector Kieran Curry, who led the investigation, said: "I commend the young survivor in this case for her courage.

"She found the strength to confide in officers, and her account of this appalling assault proved crucial in securing Bosworth's conviction.

"Her and her family's cooperation has put this dangerous predator behind bars.

"Bosworth travelled from Leicestershire to abuse his victim in Twickenham. He is a devious offender, who ensured he left very little evidence for police to pursue.

"It is a testament to our investigative teams that they succeeded in identifying Bosworth, combing over large amounts of CCTV evidence and phone data in order to apprehend him and secure a conviction."

On Monday, 23 September 2024, police were contacted by the victim's mother.

She said her 12-year-old daughter had spoken to friends at school about being abused by a man who had reached out to her on the BeFriend social media platform, presenting himself as a young teenager.

Investigators spoke to the girl, who said the man picked her up in his car in the early hours of Thursday, 19 September 2024.

He used a fake profile when communicating with the victim, grooming her for a month prior to the meeting. He left little evidence of his true identity.

Officers in the case reached out to the Met's Operation Atlas team, which specialises in digital manhunts.

Having obtained the number associated with the fake BeFriend profile, investigators were able to trace the movement of a phone through London to the victim's home, as it citied off various telecom masts.

They then paired this with CCTV footage from the areas in question.

Through these enquiries, investigators were able to single out a car., which was found to belong to Bosworth.

On Tuesday, 1 October, officers arrested him at his home in Coalville. On the same day, he was charged with 10 counts of rape, all relating to the same incident on Thursday, 19 September.

As well as serving 16 years in prison, Bosworth will be made to register for life as a sex offender.