A man has been sentenced to an indeterminate term of imprisonment for a string of rape offences committed in east London and Essex.

Sunny Islam, 23, of Salisbury Avenue, Barking, appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on 11th August 2011 where he was found guilty of seven counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration and one count of kidnapping.

He was sentenced on 25th January 2012 and will not be considered for parole until he has served 11 years. Islam was also sentenced to eight years imprisonment for the assault by penetration and an additional eight years for the offence of kidnap.

All of the terms are to run concurrently. The charges relate to four female victims, aged between 15 and 30 years at the time of the offences, and are said to have happened between May and September 2010.

Officers were first alerted to a series of assaults following the kidnap and rape of a 15-year-old girl in the Barking area on 18th September 2010.

The teenager had been walking along Gerald Road, E16 with her friend at around 03:25hrs when Islam grabbed her at knifepoint and drove her to a secluded road in Barking. He threatened her before raping her in his Renault Clio. She eventually managed to break free and immediately alerted police. DNA was taken from the victim that led police to identify a further victim from east London. She had been working as a sex worker in east London and had been picked up by Islam on a date between 1st September 2010 and 31st October 2010. Once inside his vehicle Islam repeatedly punched the victim before raping her. Although she didn’t initially report the offence to police she did actively assist the investigation once contacted by officers from the Met’s Homicide and Serious Crime Command (HSCC).

Believing that Islam may have previously offended, officers searched for similar incidents already being investigated in the surrounding area.

The court heard how the third victim, had been walking alone along Eleanor Road, Forest Gate on 14th July 2010.

Islam got out of his car and grabbed the victim pulling her back into the vehicle.

He raped the victim but she continued to struggle and managed to smash through a window of the car and escape. The fourth victim, a sex worker from east London, had been approached by Islam on 8th July 2010. She agreed to get into his car and be driven to a location nearby. He quickly turned violent and forced her into the back of the vehicle, bound her hands together with plastic quick-cuffs and raped her. She was forced from his vehicle and went straight to police to report the incident.

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin, of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, (HSCC) who investigated the offences, said: “These were a series of terrifying assaults carried out by a man who actively preyed on vulnerable women. He would deliberately patrol the streets of east London and Essex under the cover of darkness to approach known sex workers or threaten lone females walking home. Once inside his vehicle he would use violence to control his victims and we believe that had he continued to offend he would have taken the violent outbursts to a more sinister level.”

Detective Sandlin thanked all the victims involved in this case. “They came forward to give evidence, showing a huge amount of courage throughout this investigation, and we only hope that this result brings them some small comfort,” he said. “Despite this result we believe there may be more victims who, for whatever reason, are yet to come forward and speak to police. Should any further information come to light it will be dealt with robustly. Please contact your local police where a specially trained officer will be assigned to you.”