PHILIP VIVIAN THOMPSON OF LAMBETH SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN IN LONDON

On 30 April 2010, police issued a plea to residents of Lambeth who suspect they may have been victims of a paedophile to come forward, following the recent incarceration of Philip Vivian Thompson for a series of sexual crimes committed over three decades ago.

Thompson, aged 70, was convicted at Inner London Crown Court on 29 April of multiple sexual offences involving two children in Brixton, with the crimes having taken place between 1977 and 1983. His convictions include eight counts of buggery, indecent assault, and possession of indecent images of the two boys, who ranged in age from nine to 15 at the time.

Despite these convictions, authorities believe that Thompson, described as an “unrepentant paedophile,” likely assaulted additional children. Acting Detective Inspector Tim Irwin, who led the investigation for the Metropolitan Police’s paedophile unit, stated: “Thompson is an unrepentant paedophile who preyed on vulnerable children who came in to contact with him. He had a particular preference for young boys, but I have good reason to believe he also abused young girls. There are undoubtedly other victims of Thompson’s who have not yet come forward. I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse by Thompson, or anyone else, to make contact with the police where they will be treated with respect and their allegations will be taken seriously.”

The abuse of the two boys was not reported to authorities until nearly 20 years later, in 2002, when the first victim alerted police. Thompson had gained the trust of one boy’s mother, who lived on his street in Brixton. He lured one of the boys to his home where he offered drinks and drugs before abusing him.

In 2003, as the investigation unfolded, Thompson was located in Thailand and was arrested by local authorities. However, he is believed to have fled to South America while on bail awaiting extradition to the UK. Ultimately, he was detained and charged in November 2009 after arriving back in the UK through Heathrow Airport on a flight from Mexico.