A homeless paedophile who kidnapped an eight-year-old boy from a park toilet and abused him in his woodland lair is facing years in jail.
Shane Upton, 24, sexually assaulted the terrified child in his makeshift tent as police frantically searched for the lad in Burgess Park, Walworth on June 17 this year.
The boy had been playing tennis with his brother as his mother looked on when he went to use the toilet a few yards away, Inner London Crown Court heard.
Jurors convicted Upton of kidnap, sexual assault on a child under 13, and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on January 6 next year.
Adrian Amer, prosecuting, said: ‘The boy tells us that when he came out of a cubicle, he saw Shane Upton standing outside it.
“The man started talking to him and told him he was homeless and asked the boy to go to Southwark Housing with him so he could get a house.
“The boy said that the man locked in the entrance to the men’s toilets and then locked the cubicle door.
“The complainant said that he tried to shout for help, but the man covered his mouth with his hands.
“He said that he felt scared and the man told him not to be scared.
Upton then performed sex acts on him, the court was told.
“He said this happened for a minute and then it stopped and he did it again,” Mr Amer said.
Upton then took the boy out of the toilet’s emergency exit.
He walked the boy around Burgess Park and a nearby housing estate for nearly an hour, before taking him to his tent.
“The boy said that the man told him that he lived in a tent and took him to a tent somewhere in Burgess Park,” Mr Amer continued.
“The boy said that when they got in the tent the man went inside the tent and told him to come in.
“The boy said that he did not want to run away because he was scared and he knew that the man would catch him.
“He then describes going into a wooden cave made out of twigs and leaves. The man told him to lie down on his back.
“The man then pulled his trousers and pants down.
“The boy said that he was scared when this was happening so he closed his eyes because he wanted it to stop.
“He said that the man stopped when he realised the police were outside the tent.
“The boy said that the man ran off when he realised that the police were there. He said police chased the man and he then ran to the police officers.
“The boy said that he was very scared so he pulled up his pants and trousers and ran out of the cave.
“He said that the incident lasted about three to four minutes and that when he was in the tent he could hear a helicopter.
“Police on foot and on horseback and from a police helicopter conducted a search of the park,’ said Mr Amer.
Police found Upton on top of the boy, with his jeans down below the waist committing a sexual act.
He was chased and caught when he fell over.
Upton, of no fixed address, denied but was convicted on the remaining counts of kidnap, one charge of sexual assault, one of committing an offence with the intent to commit a sexual crime and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
The jury cleared Upton of two charges of assaulting an emergency worker and they earlier directed by the judge to clear him of a further count of sexual assault.
How terrifying for this little boy. Thank heavens his Mother was in the park with him. Now this paedophile had been found guilty lets hope the sentence he gets is commensurate with the offence. In other words Life Sentence. Because that’s what he’s given his 8 year old victim.
Why would you allow your 8 year old child to go to a public toilet by himself in this day and age?
#nonsense