Man, 27, pleads guilty to rape and kidnap of schoolgirl who was ‘snatched off the street’

A man charged with the rape and kidnap of a schoolgirl in south-west London in November last year has pleaded guilty.

Kadian Nelson, 27, followed the 13-year-old before creeping up behind her and putting one hand over her mouth and another on her head. 

The CPS said Nelson also threatened to kill the girl and forced her to walk towards an alleyway in Mitcham on November 3 last year.

He told her to take off her coat and school blazer before sexually assaulting her, then put his own jacket on the victim.

Police were alerted when a woman called 999 saying her daughter had seen a man grab a young girl. When one of the woman’s relatives interrupted Nelson, he told her the victim was his sister, the CPS said.

The case was widely shared on social media at the time with furious local residents told not to take the law into their own hands after angry groups gathered at addresses in the area.

Kadian Nelson, 27, followed the 13-year-old before creeping up behind her and sexually assaulting her in Mitcham, south-west London last year

Following the incident, the Metropolitan Police named Nelson as a suspect and urged him to come forward for his own safety. 

Nelson appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Monday where he admitted kidnap, rape and making a threat to kill, the CPS said in a statement.

Senior prosecutor Kate Shilton said: ‘This was a terrifying stranger attack on a young girl on her way to school.

‘The prosecution was able to present compelling evidence that made clear that it was Kadian Nelson who had carried out this sickening attack.

‘The prosecution case included video footage and DNA evidence from the lighter and tobacco pouch found inside Nelson’s jacket pocket, which he left behind.

‘The victim was also able to identify him in an ID parade. These guilty pleas will mean that Nelson’s young victim will be spared the ordeal of giving evidence in court.

The case was widely shared on social media at the time with furious local residents told not to take the law into their own hands after angry groups gathered at addresses in the area

‘I would like to thank the members of the family who saw what happened and took quick action in alerting the police to the incident.

‘The young victim has shown remarkable courage during these proceedings and I hope this conviction will go some way to providing her with closure.

‘Sexual offences are some of the most serious and complex cases to prosecute. The CPS is committed to bringing sexual offenders to justice where there is the evidence to do so.’

Nelson is due to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on August 13.