A 52-year-old shoe salesman has admitted encouraging men to sexually assault women who were asleep, unconscious or drugged as part of an international online network.
Darren Conway, of Enfield, north London, pleaded guilty to 11 charges at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, including nine counts of encouraging sexual offences against women through an internet forum.
The offences took place between 2023 and 2026. Conway also admitted voyeurism and possessing extreme pornography.
He accepted that he had messaged another man urging him to touch his sleeping wife sexually and remove her clothing on several occasions.
Conway, a father of two, showed no emotion as he answered “guilty” to each charge while wearing a grey sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms.
International investigation into drug-facilitated sexual assault
The case forms part of a wider investigation by the National Crime Agency into an online network where members shared images and videos of women being sexually assaulted while unconscious, asleep or stupefied.
Eight men have been arrested in the UK, while investigators are working with authorities in countries including France, Germany, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands and the United States to identify almost 300 people linked to the forum.
The NCA has said it identified more than 270 individuals linked to the original forum and its successors, and passed more than 210 intelligence packages to law-enforcement agencies in Britain and overseas. At least 14 separate investigations have been launched in the UK and abroad, with eight potential victims safeguarded. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/02/international-network-drug-facilitated-rape-uncovered-by-uk-crime-agency))
Members allegedly exchanged advice about sedatives, discussed how assaults could be carried out and filmed, and encouraged others to take part. Some of the material involved multiple offenders, the court heard.
Messages recovered from Conway’s devices showed him encouraging other members of the group to commit drug-facilitated sexual offences. Investigators also found evidence that he had watched images of sleeping women through the network more than ten times, without their knowledge.
Alexander Agbamu, prosecuting, said the indictment reflected Conway’s involvement in an online forum which connected people involved in “organised sexual offending and domestic abuse”.
He told the court that the offending extended back several years and involved “scores of other offenders”, adding that further evidence had emerged since proceedings began.
The investigation was launched in the wake of the case of Gisèle Pelicot, who waived her anonymity during the trial of her former husband in France.
Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2024 after being convicted of drugging his wife and arranging for dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious. Fifty men were convicted of rape or other sexual offences following the trial in Avignon. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/02/international-network-drug-facilitated-rape-uncovered-by-uk-crime-agency))
Judge John Dodd ordered reports on Conway and remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing on Friday, October 30, 2026. The court was told that further charges could be brought as the investigation continues.
Mr Agbamu said the prosecution followed a similar case in Manchester which had generated inquiries across the country.
Judge Dodd described the offences to which Conway had pleaded guilty as “extremely serious” and said he would need assistance on a number of issues, including dangerousness, before sentencing.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were continuing to work to identify victims shown in footage found on Conway’s devices. Some victims may be outside the UK.
Commander Andy Day said: “Drug facilitated sexual offending can have lasting and devastating impacts on its victims.”
He said Conway had encouraged others to offend against women who were unconscious, asleep or otherwise stupefied, putting them at serious risk in their own homes.
“Anyone who has reason to believe that they may have been a victim of sexual offending should report to police,” Commander Day added. “All victims will be supported by specialist officers and safeguarding can be put into place for their protection.”
Tracy Easton, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London South, said Conway had committed offences against women in places where they should have been safe.
She said organised drug-facilitated sexual assault was “abhorrent” and urged anyone who believed they had experienced similar abuse to come forward.
The NCA has warned that victims may not know what happened to them, particularly if they were sedated, and has described the offending as increasingly organised through digital platforms. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/02/international-network-drug-facilitated-rape-uncovered-by-uk-crime-agency))
