Convicted paedophile who abused children while working as an au pair admits 40 more offences

A “cold and manipulative” convicted paedophile has been sentenced to life imprisonment after admitting to a further 40 sex crimes involving the abuse of 20 children while working as an au pair.

Aaron McWilliams, 28, violated children and babies he was employed to protect while working as a live-in au pair across the UK and Europe.

He was first convicted in 2016 for sexually assaulting a four-year-old child.

After his early release from prison, McWilliams worked for another family where he abused another four-year-old. He had provided the family with fake references.

McWilliams was jailed for seven years in August 2017 for his crimes, described by police as “every family's worst nightmare.” He is serving his time at HMP Belmarsh in London.

Read more: Paedophile primary school teacher to be freed from prison next month

During the 2017 investigation, a phone was seized and detectives found 2,472 indecent images of children plus an extensive collection of videos McWilliams had made of himself sexually abusing his victims.

The prolific child predator was interviewed twice in 2018 about the material on his phone and admitted his actions.

McWilliams was sentenced to life, with a minimum term of nine years at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday.

Twenty-four victims, aged between four months and 14 years old, were identified during the investigation; all but one were boys.

DS Adam Ghaboos, of the Met Police Central East Safeguarding team, said: “McWilliams is a predatory paedophile who sexually abused a large number of children he was entrusted to care for.

“It is every family’s worst nightmare. He is manipulative, cold, calculating, and highly dangerous to children and young people.

“This case is amongst the most serious child abuse offending that the team has seen.

“I would like to acknowledge the courage of the young victims and their families who have endured the horrific abuse and the long-term harm these types of crimes cause.

“Their information has led to this prosecution, and McWilliams will spend a long time in jail where he cannot harm any other children.

McWilliams admitted a string of 40 sex crimes against children including 14 counts of inciting a boy under 13 to engage in penetrative sex, eight counts of inciting a boy under 13 to engage in other sexual activity and seven counts of sexual assault on a boy by touching.

His offences also include three counts of making an indecent photo of a child, three counts of sexual assault on a child, two counts of rape of a boy under 13, attempted rape of a boy under 13, sexual assault on a girl by touching and engaging in sexual activity with a boy under 15.

DS Ghaboos said there may be further victims yet to come forward and asked families who have employed McWilliams in the past to contact police.

He added: “Our enquiries have led us to a large number of McWilliams’ victims, but we can’t rule out the possibility that there may be more.

"I would urge any families who have employed McWilliams or believe that he may have had contact with their children to come forward.”

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