In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 50-year-old Simon Owoade was convicted for the rape and sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl he befriended online. Owoade—of St Anselms Road, Hayes, Middlesex—pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court on 3 December 2018. It was reported that the investigation was launched in May 2018 after the victim’s parents discovered the contact and reported the matter to the police, uncovering a year-long campaign of exploitation.
The investigation established that Owoade targeted the child through a social media messaging site between June and July 2017. Harrow Crown Court heard that Owoade persuaded the 12-year-old to meet him in London and Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, on several occasions. The prosecution reported that he took the girl to various locations, including car parks and hotels, where he subjected her to rape and sexual assault while also encouraging her to share naked photographs of herself.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Owoade attempted to resume the abuse nearly a year after the initial contact had ceased. Harrow Crown Court heard that in April 2018, Owoade texted the victim claiming he missed her, leading to further meetings until the police intervention in May. The investigation established that Owoade pleaded guilty to rape of a child under 13, assault by penetration, sexual assault, and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, while two further counts of sexual assault were left to lie on file.
Judge-led proceedings resulted in Owoade being remanded in custody to await his final sentencing in January 2019. For his actions in Hayes, London, and Potters Bar, he was removed from the community to reflect the gravity of his predatory behaviour. The judge noted that the systematic grooming of a 12-year-old across multiple jurisdictions required a substantial custodial term and lifelong notification requirements to ensure the public remains protected from his demonstrated pattern of sexual violence.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Middlesex and Hertfordshire, the status of Simon Owoade as of April 5, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (Significant custodial term; sentenced 2019).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children).
- SHPO Status: Sexual Harm Prevention Order active for life.
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Rape of a child under 13; Assault by penetration; Indecent photographs; 6 counts total).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Harrow Crown Court; investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
- Criminal Record: Rape of a 12-year-old; Grooming via social media; Offending in hotels and car parks; Possession of child abuse imagery.
- Origin: St Anselms Road, Hayes, Middlesex; offences in London and Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Owoade is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the prison estate and will remain so within the Hayes and London area upon any eventual release. Due to the nature of his conduct—which involved the long-term grooming and repeated rape of a child—his management is a maximum priority for the Metropolitan Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his persistence in re-contacting the victim after a nine-month gap indicates a high level of predatory obsession that requires lifelong oversight.
As a registered sex offender for life, the 50-year-old’s (then) details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his lifelong SHPO includes permanent restrictions on his residency and his use of social media or encrypted messaging apps. Any failure to notify police of his movements in Hayes, any attempt to contact the victim or her family, or any unauthorized proximity to schools or parks in London or Potters Bar will result in immediate arrest and return to custody to ensure the ongoing safety of children from his demonstrated pattern of digital and physical sexual exploitation.
QUESTION – Given that the offender used social media to persuade a 12-year-old to travel to different towns for the purpose of abuse, do you believe that “Travel Prohibition Orders” should be a mandatory legal requirement for all convicted groomers to prevent them from leaving their home town without a police escort?
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.