On 15 April 2026, a man from Croydon, south London was sentenced to 28 years in prison for a prolonged campaign of child sexual abuse spanning fifteen years. Anthony Adewale Sobogun, aged 61, was found guilty of 17 separate non-recent sexual offences against two young victims and was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

Who Is Anthony Adewale Sobogun?

Anthony Adewale Sobogun is a 61-year-old man formerly of Thistlewood Crescent, Croydon, south London. At the time of sentencing he was aged 61, having been born on 4 March 1965. The Metropolitan Police identified him as the perpetrator of serious sexual offences against children that were committed across a significant period in the 1990s and 2000s. He had held a position of trust in relation to his victims, who were known to him.

Sobogun was arrested in the early hours of 2 July 2025 following a Metropolitan Police investigation that examined historic allegations. He was charged with multiple counts of serious sexual offending against children and stood trial at Inner London Crown Court before ultimately being convicted on all 17 counts.

What Were the Offences?

The court heard that Sobogun subjected two young victims to repeated and serious sexual abuse over a period of approximately fifteen years, beginning in the 1990s and continuing into the early 2000s. The offences included multiple incidents of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13, as well as the rape of a child. The victims were both young girls who were known to Sobogun at the time the abuse was carried out.

The nature of the offending — its prolonged duration, the youth and vulnerability of the victims, and Sobogun’s exploitation of his position of trust — were all factors cited by the court as aggravating features of the case. Sobogun was found guilty of all 17 non-recent sexual offences with which he was charged, following a full trial.

The Metropolitan Police Investigation

The case was brought to light through a Metropolitan Police investigation into historic child sexual abuse. Non-recent or “historic” cases of this type can be particularly challenging to prosecute, as they rely on the testimony of survivors who may have been children at the time of the offences and are now adults. Advances in investigative techniques and a greater willingness among survivors to come forward have enabled police forces across the UK to pursue cases that might previously have gone unaddressed.

Sobogun was arrested in July 2025, approximately a year before his sentencing. Following his arrest, he was charged and remanded through the criminal justice system until his appearance at Inner London Crown Court. The Metropolitan Police confirmed his conviction publicly following the sentencing hearing on 15 April 2026, praising the courage of the survivors in coming forward.

The Sentence: 28 Years in Prison

Sentencing Sobogun to 28 years’ imprisonment, the judge at Inner London Crown Court reflected the gravity and duration of the offending. The sentence is one of the longest handed down for historical child sexual abuse in a recent UK case, and reflects the serious view taken by the courts of offences committed against the most vulnerable members of society — young children who were subjected to sustained abuse by someone in a position of trust.

Under current UK sentencing rules, Sobogun will serve a portion of his sentence in custody before becoming eligible for parole consideration. For serious sexual offences of this type, the release framework means offenders generally serve a substantial proportion of their sentence before being considered for release, and are subject to stringent conditions upon any eventual release. You can read more about how the UK Parole Board assesses prisoners and the factors it considers when deciding whether to grant release.

Following his release — whenever that may be — Sobogun will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and subject to the conditions of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which places strict restrictions on his contact with children and his online activity.

Victims and Impact

The Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service acknowledged the bravery of the victims in this case, who came forward to report abuse that had occurred decades earlier. Such decisions are never easy, and non-recent abuse cases often involve survivors who have carried the impact of offences throughout their adult lives before seeking justice through the courts.

Convictions of this kind can have a significant impact beyond the individual case — they send a clear message that the passage of time does not protect perpetrators of serious crimes and that the UK criminal justice system takes historic child sexual abuse with the utmost seriousness. The 28-year sentence reflects both the courts’ determination to hold such offenders to account and the system’s recognition of the lifelong harm caused by child sexual abuse. For information on how to support someone affected by the criminal justice system, our guides to booking a prison visit and sending money to a prisoner in the UK are available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Anthony Adewale Sobogun?

Anthony Adewale Sobogun is a 61-year-old man from Croydon, south London, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison on 15 April 2026 at Inner London Crown Court. He was found guilty of 17 non-recent sexual offences against two young children, committed over a period of approximately 15 years in the 1990s and early 2000s.

What did Anthony Sobogun do?

Anthony Sobogun was convicted of 17 counts of non-recent child sexual abuse, including multiple incidents of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 and the rape of a child. The offences were committed against two victims who were known to him and spanned a period of approximately 15 years beginning in the 1990s.

How long is Anthony Sobogun sentenced to prison for?

Anthony Adewale Sobogun was sentenced to 28 years in prison at Inner London Crown Court on 15 April 2026. He will serve a substantial portion of this sentence in custody before becoming eligible for parole consideration. Upon any eventual release he will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

When was Anthony Sobogun arrested?

Anthony Adewale Sobogun was arrested in the early hours of 2 July 2025 following a Metropolitan Police investigation into historic child sexual abuse allegations. He was subsequently charged and remanded through the court system before his trial and sentencing at Inner London Crown Court in April 2026.

Where is Anthony Sobogun from?

Anthony Adewale Sobogun is from Croydon, south London. At the time of his sentencing on 15 April 2026, his address was recorded as Thistlewood Crescent, Croydon. He was tried at Inner London Crown Court and sentenced to 28 years in prison for serious historic child sexual abuse offences.