Darren Conway, a 52-year-old shoe salesman from north London, has admitted to 11 charges, including nine counts of encouraging others to sexually assault women who were unconscious, asleep, or otherwise incapacitated. His guilty plea at Wood Green Crown Court on September 11, 2026, reveals his involvement in a global network where partners drugged and sexually assaulted their unsuspecting partners.
Conway’s admissions include messaging a man last year to touch his wife sexually and remove her clothing on multiple occasions while she was asleep. The court heard that members of an internet forum shared graphic videos and images of sedated women being sexually assaulted, often by multiple offenders, and exchanged advice on the best sedatives to use.
The investigation, spearheaded by the National Crime Agency (NCA), was initiated following the widely reported case of Gisèle Pelicot in France. Pelicot, 72, waived her anonymity in what was France's largest-ever rape trial, after her husband Dominique Pelicot was convicted in December 2024 and sentenced to 20 years for arranging for 72 men to rape her 92 times while she was unconscious.
Conway is among eight men arrested in the UK as part of an international effort to identify nearly 300 individuals linked to the forum. The NCA is collaborating with authorities in countries including France, Germany, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States. Evidence found on Conway's devices showed him encouraging other group members to participate in drug-facilitated sexual crimes and revealed he had observed sleeping women through the network more than ten times without their knowledge.
During the court proceedings, prosecutor Alexander Agbamu stated that the indictment reflected Conway's connection to an online forum facilitating organized sexual offending and domestic abuse. He noted that the offending spanned several years and involved numerous other offenders, with further evidence emerging since the case began.
Judge John Dodd ordered pre-sentence reports and remanded Conway into custody, with sentencing scheduled for October 30. The prosecution indicated that additional charges may be filed as the investigation progresses. Metropolitan Police Commander Andy Day emphasized the devastating impact of drug-facilitated sexual offending and highlighted the serious risk Conway's actions posed to women in their own homes. Tracy Easton, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London South, affirmed the determination to bring offenders to justice and encouraged potential victims to come forward.
While much of Conway's offending is believed to have occurred in the UK, investigators suspect some victims may be located abroad. The NCA has described the network as a "truly international network" with members identified on every continent. Police are actively working to identify the victims featured in the footage found on Conway’s devices.