A man, Himanshu Makwana Wembley Paedophile, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for raping two adolescent girls he encountered on Snapchat, subsequent to an investigation conducted by specialised detectives at the Metropolitan Police Service.
On Thursday, 6 March 2025, Himanshu Makwana, 42 (born 04 April 1982), of Thurlby Road, Wembley, was sentenced to imprisonment at Harrow Crown Court following his conviction on two charges of rape. He will serve an extra four years under an extended parole and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
The two incidents occurred on distinct days, four years apart, yet both exhibited remarkably comparable conditions.
Detective Constable Lewis Jelley, the investigator in charge, stated:
“Himanshu Makwana posed as a young man on social media in order to prey on young girls. He carried out a horrific attack on one woman, and then did the same thing again a few years later. He was brought to justice following a painstaking investigation.
“I want to thank the two brave young women who came forward and reported the offences to us. Without their courage, we would not be in the position we are today.”
In 2019, Himanshu Makwana used a Snapchat account to communicate with his first victim, who was aged 18. After speaking for a few months, they decided to meet. He drove her to an empty office block, and once inside of the building, he raped her.
The offence was reported to police at the time and no suspect was identified.
In April 2023, Himanshu Makwana again posed as a 19-year-old man on Snapchat and started speaking to his second victim, who had only recently turned 16.
Shortly afterwards, he parked on a street close to the victim’s school and waited for her, before asking for her help.
The victim agreed and helped Makwana carry some books. He then locked her in his car and identified himself as ‘Samir,’ which was the fake identity he had used on Snapchat. He then drove her to an empty commercial premises and raped her.
Himanshu Makwana was arrested on Monday, 27 November, 2023 – the day after the second victim reported the incident – thanks to an image captured by a witness which showed the car used in the incident. This enabled officers to locate the vehicle, and arrest Makwana.
Analysis of a DNA sample taken on his arrest identified him as the previously unknown suspect for the offence against the first victim in 2019.
He was then charged with the rapes of both victims on Friday, 22 December, 2023, and remanded in custody ahead of trial.
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