A predatory Erith man who groomed a 13-year-old girl then raped her in his flat has been jailed. Ako Hawla attacked the teenager at his home on Frobisher Road in June 2019 after gaining her trust in a series of social media conversations.
The then 19-year-old persuaded the girl to travel from west Kent to meet him for the first time, having convinced her he too was a juvenile. The creep later subjected her to a tirade of repeated and ‘truly terrifying’ abuse.
When a subsequent missing person investigation lead police to Hawla’s door, he told the girl to pretend she was sleeping on his couch. He also forced her to tell officers she was actually 17 in a bid to avoid arrest.
Kent Police arrested Hawla but bailed him pending further investigation. Fearing jail, the rapist fled the country and evaded justice for over six years.
In April 2024, the now 26-year-old was tracked down in France and extradited to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant. He was found guilty of rape, child abduction and a further five sexual offences at Woolwich Crown Court, and handed 13 years behind bars on August 14 of this year.
Hawla will have to serve at least two thirds of the sentence before he can be considered for parole. He is also subject subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Detective Constable Kim Bashford, of Kent Police, said: “Hawla exploited a child’s trust in the most sinister and deplorable way. He struck up conversations with her through social media apps and after they met for the first time then subjected her to a truly terrifying ordeal.
“Having successfully pursued Hawla into Europe; it is really pleasing that we have now been able to finally ensure he has faced justice. I really do hope that the victim starts to feel safer and can rebuild her life now that he is prison.”
She also urged parents to discuss the dangers of social media and the internet with their children, and teach them how to report inappropriate behaviour.
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