Rishi Nayyar

Rishi Nayyar, a 40-year-old man from Ashford, Surrey, was convicted of serious sexual offences against a child after exploiting his position to groom and abuse a young victim. The case came to light in April 2025 when the victim's mother contacted Surrey Police to report a non-recent rape. Officers subsequently interviewed the victim, who revealed that Nayyar had initially approached her under the pretence of assisting with job opportunities.

According to the investigation details released by Surrey Police, Nayyar quickly abused this trust by showering the girl with gifts and offering to pay for various items, including sexual activity. He pleaded guilty to three counts of paying for sexual services of a child but denied the charge of rape. However, following a five-day trial at Guildford Crown Court from 29 September to 3 October 2025, a jury found him guilty of rape.

On 18 December 2025, Nayyar appeared for sentencing at Guildford Crown Court. He received a custodial sentence of 12 years and six months' imprisonment for the rape, with an extended licence period of four years. Concurrently, he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for the three counts of paying for sexual services of a child. During his police interview, Nayyar denied paying the girl for sex or touching her sexually, responding 'no comment' to further questions.

Detective Constable Lauren Lovett from Surrey Police's Child Abuse Team led the investigation, crediting the success to collaborative efforts across forensic, digital, and financial departments. In a statement, she said: 'This result was down to the thorough teamwork of the forensic department, digital department and financial department, who all played a key role in the investigation. This excellent collaborative working across these departments ensured that we could be in the best position evidentially when presenting this case to the Crown Prosecution Service.' Lovett also praised the victim's bravery, noting: 'The victim in this case has shown commendable bravery throughout the entire process, most notably giving evidence in the presence of her abuser at court. It is down to her courage that we were able to secure a conviction leading to a lengthy term of imprisonment - and in turn protect other members of the public from this dangerous child sexual offender.'

The conviction underscores Surrey Police's commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, as highlighted in their official news release on the case.