A single message in a private online forum shattered years of silence in 2019, ultimately bringing down a children’s mentor who spent two decades evading accountability for sexually exploiting students under his care.
That digital confession—posted by one woman describing troubling encounters with a former school employee—resonated immediately with others in the closed group. Multiple women recognized the same pattern of behavior, privately comparing experiences that mirrored their own trauma. By January 2020, three had contacted authorities. Two more followed by year’s end.
The collective testimony led to Thursday’s sentencing of Emem Udaw, 51, of Knollmead, Tolworth, who received eight years’ imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court. A jury had convicted him last December on 14 counts of indecent assault on girls under 16, following offenses committed between 2002 and 2004 at Holland Park Secondary School where he held a mentoring position.
Udaw’s method centered on manufactured isolation. Investigators established he regularly pulled students from classrooms for supposed one-on-one support sessions, steering them to vacant rooms and securing doors behind them. These private encounters—masked as emotional guidance—became opportunities for sexualized questioning, inappropriate physical contact including kissing and touching intimate areas, and forcing students onto his lap.
All five victims were in early adolescence when targeted. The abuse occurred repeatedly during school hours, embedded within an institutional framework where Udaw’s professional role granted him both access and credibility.
Despite facing 21 charges initially filed in July 2024, Udaw maintained throughout that he served as a positive influence. The jury rejected this characterization after hearing consistent accounts across multiple victims spanning the same timeframe.
“His behaviour was calculated, exploitative and carried out in places where these victims should have felt safe,” said Detective Constable Sandy Whysall, who led the investigation.
The five-year gap between the initial social media revelation and formal charges reflects the complexity of building historical abuse cases. Additional interviews with Udaw occurred as subsequent victims came forward in August and November 2020, expanding the investigative scope.
Anyone with relevant information regarding Udaw can contact authorities at 101 referencing Operation RoseQuartz, or reach Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111. The 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line provides confidential assistance at 0808 500 2222 or through 247sexualabusesupport.org.uk for individuals aged 16 and older across England and Wales.
