Shibin Vimala Santhakumar

A paedophile shop worker from Kettering has been imprisoned for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl, using sweets and free items to build her trust before escalating to serious offences.

Shibin Vimala Santhakumar, aged 45 and residing on Pipers Hill Road in Kettering, worked at a local shop where he targeted the victim. He began by providing her with extra change on purchases and offering free confectionery and soft drinks, gradually gaining her confidence. This grooming behaviour eventually led to him sexually abusing her, prompting the victim to report the incidents to Northamptonshire Police.

Upon investigation, Santhakumar was interviewed by officers but initially denied the allegations. He faced charges including three counts of sexual activity with a child, four counts of inciting sexual activity with a child, and two counts of possession of indecent images of children. Prior to his trial at Northampton Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to some of the offences and was subsequently convicted by a jury on all remaining charges.

On 1 November 2022, Santhakumar was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with an additional two years on licence. The court heard details of how his actions exemplified a pattern of predatory behaviour, starting subtly with gifts to erode boundaries before committing the abuses.

Lead investigator Detective Constable Chris Waterfall from Northamptonshire Police’s child protection team praised the victim’s courage, stating: “This case shows that sexual offences against children do not often start with an immediate offence. Santhakumar gradually built trust with this girl through offering her free items and money off her purchases. It then escalated into this abuse.” He further emphasised the sentence’s importance: “I welcome the sentence handed out to him as it means there is one less sexual predator on our streets and one less person able to harm children. I hope this result shows the seriousness with which Northamptonshire Police takes these offences and I want to reassure the public that we will continue to work hard to bring people like Santhakumar to justice.”

The case, reported by the Northamptonshire Telegraph, underscores the insidious nature of grooming in everyday settings like local shops and highlights the vital role of victim reporting in securing convictions.