Nikki Darke

A 37-year-old man from Hillingdon has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after committing a series of indecent acts on the London Underground and sharing videos of the incidents online for financial gain. Nikki Darke appeared at Inner London Crown Court, where he faced charges including one count of outraging public decency, four counts of criminal damage, and three counts of making indecent images of children.

The offences took place between February and July 2021 on the Piccadilly Line. Darke performed explicit acts in public view while travelling on the Tube, capturing the incidents on video and uploading them to platforms such as Twitter and OnlyFans under a pseudonym. He charged subscribers to access the content, claiming in police interviews that he was fulfilling requests from paying users who specifically wanted to see such material. 'It’s me doing really stupid things in public places,' Darke stated during questioning, adding, 'The people that pay, that’s what they want to see.'

Darke's activities came to light on 4 September 2021 when plain-clothes officers from British Transport Police spotted him behaving suspiciously on the Underground and arrested him. A search of his phone revealed not only the videos of his own acts but also indecent images of children that he had obtained through his online platforms. The court imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order on Darke, prohibiting him from taking photographs or videos in any public place.

Detective Constable Christopher Pretty of British Transport Police commented on the case, describing it as 'a foul and frankly absurd case.' He added, 'I’m pleased to see such a vile offender taken off the network. It’s clear Darke’s actions were for his own selfish amusement and gratification, yet a number of passengers were subjected to witnessing his odious behaviour. As a result of our extensive enquiries, we not only reprimanded Darke for the damage he caused to railway property and the indecent acts he was committing, but also for the utterly indefensible indecent images he gathered.'

The sentencing occurred on 3 December 2021, following Darke's court appearance on 7 October 2021. This case highlights the efforts of British Transport Police in patrolling public transport networks to prevent such disruptive and harmful behaviour.