Security guard raped teenage girls he caught shoplifting in exchange for not telling their parents or police
A security guard who was accused of forcing four teenage girls he caught shoplifting to perform sex acts on him in exchange for not turning them to the authorities has been found guilty of his charges.
The Kingston Crown Court heard of how Zia Uddin, 27, who was employed by Brooknight Security to work at a Primark Store in Kingston upon Thames, attacked the 15-year-old girls in the control room of the store after he caught them and threatened to call the authorities if they did not comply with his demands.
The girls said he told them they would go to jail and get criminal records, and that he declined their offer to pay for the items. Instead, he reportedly made it clear he wanted sexual favors and that there was "no other choice."
His colleagues confirmed he used to keep condoms in the control room and that they had noticed his suspicious behavior. They said he had not completed his shoplifting paperwork properly and had requested for CCTV footage to be deleted.
While Uddin claimed the girls were lying, he was found guilty of rape and four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Speaking after the verdict, Graham Patridge, of the Children's Protection Service, said Uddin preyed on "young girls in a vulnerable situation" and "abused his authority by telling them to perform sexual acts for him." He said the guard used his expertise in security to take advantage of CCTV blind spots to carry out his crimes without detection.
He also pointed to telephonic evidence which showed Uddin had made many personal phone calls to other girls accused of shoplifting after acquiring their numbers through the incidents. "During the trial, Uddin claimed all the victims were liars and refused to take responsibility for his actions," he said. "He has now been held accountable for his actions."
A Primark spokesperson said: "This has been a horrendous ordeal for the victims and their families and we are truly sorry for what they have suffered. Our thoughts are very much with them. The nature of these offences is shocking and distressing. Zia Uddin abused the trust that was placed in him by his employer, Brooknight Security, and by us, by taking advantage of his victims, who were young and vulnerable."
Uddin is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19.