A security guard at a high street store has been convicted of sexually assaulting four teenage girls who had been caught shoplifting.
Zia Uddin, 27, who was employed by Brooknight Security to work at Primark in Kingston upon Thames, south-west
London, forced the 15-year-old girls to perform sex acts in return for not telling their parents.
He attacked them in the control room of the store, threatening to call the
police if they did not comply with his demands, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Uddin was found guilty of rape and four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity following a trial at Kingston Crown Court, where he will be sentenced on November 19.
Jurors were told that colleagues noticed that Uddin, who kept condoms in the control room, had not completed shoplifting paperwork properly and had asked for CCTV to be deleted.
Graham Partridge, from the CPS, said: “Zia Uddin preyed on young girls in a vulnerable situation.
“He abused his authority by telling them to perform sexual acts for him on the promise they would then be released without their parents or the police being informed about what they had done.
“Having worked in security, Uddin was also well aware of the CCTV camera ‘blind spots’ and took advantage of these in order to carry out his offending.
“The prosecution case was able to rely on strong witness testimony from the victims, who were able to give evidence via pre-recorded video after the CPS applied for special measures.
“Telephone evidence also showed that Uddin had made a number of personal phone calls to other girls accused of shoplifting after acquiring their phone numbers through the incidents.
“During the trial Uddin claimed all the victims were liars and refused to take responsibility for his actions.
“He has now been held accountable for his actions.”
A spokeswoman for Primark said Uddin had abused the trust placed in him by the company and the security firm he worked for.
She said: “This has been a horrendous ordeal for the victims and their families and we are truly sorry for what they have suffered. Our thoughts are very much with them.
“The nature of these offences is shocking and distressing.
“Zia Uddin abused the trust that was placed in him by his employer, Brooknight Security, and by us, by taking advantage of his victims, who were young and vulnerable.”Related... SPAC Nation: Allegations Of Safeguarding Abuses In 'Trap Houses' Linked To Controversial Church